President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a message on the occasion of the anniversary of Hatay’s joining the homeland and said that Hatay’s joining Turkey as a result of a great achievement of Turkey’s peaceful and rule-abiding foreign policy 81 years ago, constituted one of the first rings of achievements in diplomacy for the young Republic of Turkey.
Emphasizing that the decision, taken by Hatay National Assembly’s own desire and will, strengthened the national unity and integrity, and also reinforced Turkey’s presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, Erdoğan said the following:
“The joining of Hatay, where culture and civilizations have co-existed for thousands of years, has been a particular source of wealth, pride, and honor for Turkey. I congratulate the anniversary of Hatay’s joining the homeland. I commemorate with mercy and gratitude those who exerted efforts for this national cause, including especially Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the then President of Hatay, Tayfur Sökmen, and I wholeheartedly salute the people of Hatay and all our citizens.”