President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a video message to the event organised by the “Global Aceh Diaspora” on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of the tsunami which hit the Aceh region of Indonesia in 2004.
Expressing that he was utterly pleased to attend this significant event even remotely, President Erdoğan started his speech by saying, “I wish Allah’s mercy upon our brothers and sisters who lost their lives in that tragic disaster in 2004 and convey my condolences to their relatives and loved ones.” He then added, “May Allah bless our late brothers with martyrdom. We have strong bonds of friendship with Indonesia that date back centuries ago. Our ancestors responded to the Sultan of Aceh Alauddin’s cry for help and left us an unprecedented legacy. Today, we continue our solidarity with our Indonesian brothers and sisters as per our Prophet’s order that said, “Muslims are brothers.” We regard the suffering of Indonesians as our pain and their happiness as our joy.
Stating that despite the physical distance between the countries, they have never left their Indonesian brothers alone during hard times, President Erdoğan said:
“We have always mobilised all our means for Indonesia every time they needed. We have once again demonstrated this stance in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in 2004. Our people were stricken with deep grief when they heard about the disaster in Aceh. An aid campaign was launched across the country without delay. Relevant state institutions, as well as non-governmental organisations in our country, put their hearts and souls into this process. The aid collected during this campaign, supported voluntarily by the vast majority of our people, was swiftly transferred to the region. Our government also stepped in to support the regions affected by the earthquake and the tsunami; the Turkish Red Crescent and Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) quickly dispatched teams to the area, assisting in its reconstruction.”
Reiterating that during his term as the Prime Minister, he also paid a visit to Indonesia right in the aftermath of the disaster in 2005, President Erdoğan said, “I had the opportunity to observe first-hand the magnitude of the disaster in Banda Aceh, one of the most severely affected regions. It was also during that visit that I had the chance to witness the gratitude of our brothers and sisters from Aceh for our country, our nation and myself. The total development aid provided by Türkiye to Indonesia following the disaster exceeded 75 million Dollars. I would like to assure you that we will continue to support you as a condition of our brotherhood and affinity. As I conclude my speech with these thoughts, I once again wish Allah’s mercy upon my Indonesian brothers and sisters who lost their lives in the earthquake and tsunami disaster that took place 17 years ago, and I convey my condolences to their relatives. I pray to Allah that you and all humanity will never have to endure such anguish again. I would like to thank you for your kind invitation and affection and sincerely greet all my brothers and sisters from Aceh and Indonesia.