President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "We have established the infrastructure, provided opportunities and removed obstacles for our women from all walks of life to realize their potential for themselves, their families, their city and their country. The level of our women’s advancement in education and production is truly an expression of historical success."
Images of the program "On the Path to Great Türkiye with Women", where President Erdoğan met with entrepreneurs, farmers, students, athletes, artists and working women during his visit to Eskişehir yesterday, were shared.
Speaking at the program at Anadolu University's Turkic World Science Culture and Art Centre in Sazova Park, President Erdoğan expressed his pleasure to be with women during the final leg of his visit to Eskişehir.
Emphasizing that they realize their dreams of a Great and Powerful Türkiye with all members of the nation, without any discrimination between men and women, President Erdoğan said: "We design and implement every vision and every project for the future of our country together with you."
Stating that the period during which women in Türkiye advanced the most in education, production, employment, politics and social life was their own period, President Erdoğan continued as follows:
"I am expressing this assertively that we have established the infrastructure, provided opportunities and removed obstacles for our women from all walks of life to realize their potential for themselves, their families, their city and their country. The level of our women’s advancement in education and production is truly an expression of historical success.”
Aside from politics, I've always supported our women's struggle to claim their rightful place in bureaucracy and the business sector. I backed every step that helped women break free from their roles as family business members and become independent entrepreneurs, producers, and business owners. In our country, from teachers to academics, from bankers to judges, our women have a representation level close to their rate in the population.
President Erdoğan stated that indeed there is still a long way to go, "But when we consider our achievements, I do not see any impediment to us being more optimistic about the future and setting higher goals." he said.
"We are determined to support our women"
Supporting women in all areas of life and emphasizing that they never neglect their position in the family, especially their motherly qualities, President Erdoğan said:
"There is no doubt that we may have deficiencies on this matter, too. In the upcoming period, we are determined to support our women more in terms of their position in the family, as well as in the education and production process. Women's roles in other sectors of life and in the family may be seen as mutually exclusive by some twisted minds. We will not, as in the West, allow those who want to turn women into commodities in the name of liberation. I think that this understanding, which aims to completely separate women from their home, family and children, actually does not accept their roles in education, production, employment and social life. In the direction of our civilisation and morals, we regard men and women as comrades who, like in creation, struggle together in all aspects of life. We never forget that the title of the most honourable of all creatures of humanity is before and above all other attributes. No mistakes made in the past, no bad examples can be our reference. We whole-heartedly believe that everyone has been equal before Allah since the first of humans, Adam and Eve, and that the difference is revealed in piety.
I hope that today's meeting will be instrumental in remembering the progress made by our women in our country, particularly in terms of protecting their rights, legality and dignity. In the same way, I hope that we will exchange ideas about what we need to do next."
He answered women's questions
After his speech, President Erdoğan gave the floor to the women participating in the program and answered their questions.
Positive discrimination for female entrepreneurs
President Erdoğan said: "If we exclude women from our developmental goal, we lose half of our potential. However, every effort, every idea, and every individual means a lot to us. With this approach, we have provided and continue to provide the greatest support in our history to our female entrepreneurs."
President Erdoğan stated that he attaches great importance to the concept of entrepreneurship for both women and men, adding, "But how will we pave the way for them? We make certain payments to them and say 'walk the walk' by promoting the entrepreneurial spirit as a state. And there is also this, we are pleased to see that our female entrepreneurs are much more successful than men in some fields. Hopefully, we will build a strong and great Türkiye together from this point forth," he said.
