At the Hamburg stage of the "Century of Türkiye" panel series organised by our Directorate in Germany, Coordinator of the Türkiye Brand Office Nur Özkan Erbay, journalist Zafer Şahin, academics Hasan Basri Yalçın and Taceddin Kutay told about the point Türkiye has reached in the last two decades and its future goals.
The moderator of the event Muhammed Ali Uçar said that the concept of "Century of Türkiye" is a slogan indicating the progress Türkiye has made.
Uçar stated that the Century of Türkiye has many sub-titles, including sustainability, peace, success, stability, production, efficiency, digitalisation, and communication.
Coordinator of the Türkiye Brand Office Erbay stated that the Türkiye brand is not an unattainable goal and said, "We have established the Türkiye brand to write the story of a Türkiye that can fill under this in minds in a spiritual sense."
Erbay emphasised that the lands where Türkiye is located contain a heritage belonging to the entire human civilization, and that the momentum recorded by Türkiye cannot be stopped.
Erbay said, "Türkiye is now the world's centre of attraction and a cultural power. It is now common in Türkiye to wake up to new good news every morning. This momentum will increase even more in the second century of the Republic."
Coordinator of the Türkiye Brand Office stated that Türkiye met its 2023 targets with great success and hopes to meet its 2071 targets with these results.
"This election is really critical"
Journalist Şahin pointed out that Türkiye is going to a very important election and said, "This election is really critical. A century of the Republic. We are now going to its second century. We are stronger than we have ever been in history because we have gradually removed the shackles that have been placed on our feet. This is why Türkiye is on target; this is why Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is on target."
Stating that those who do not want President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are FETÖ, PKK, and the USA, Şahin added, "In retrospect, we have one homeland, no matter what we are. If those we name are targeting Türkiye through Erdoğan, it is because Türkiye is on the right path. If giant steps had not been taken in energy and health, if we had done what they wanted in the TRNC and Azerbaijan, would Türkiye and Erdoğan have been so targeted? No. They would say, 'What a good job they are doing'."
Şahin said, "Countries are setting 50-year goals. US President Joe Biden stated, 'A new world order is emerging, and we intend to lead it.' Where is this new world emerging? In the geography in which Türkiye is located."
Indicating that Türkiye had survived a huge crisis during the July 15 coup attempt, Şahin said, "It was an attempted civil war. They aimed to de facto divide Türkiye. For 10 years, we have been a country where special efforts have been made to prevent us from succeeding. Right after the Gezi events, the judicial coup of 17-25 December, bombs exploding in metropolitan cities, the coup attempt, the economic coup attempts, we face the pandemic, the Russian war and the great earthquake. It would not have been possible for other countries to survive if so many hardships had happened to them."
Şahin stated that the self-confidence of the Turkish people was undermined for many years, and noted:
"If we are able to have these conversations here today, it is because we have gained our self-confidence over the past 20 years. Now, whenever something happens in the world, people are curious as to what Erdoğan and Türkiye will have to say about it. That is why the next century is so crucial, and the goals will be met in it as well. The quality of our people is very robust, and we have a strong industry.
Türkiye is going through a difficult period, but production continues, indicating that the economy's wheels are turning. While a new world order is emerging, Türkiye does not want to be as passive as it was in the past, as a country that accepts the borders drawn for itself, on the contrary, it wants to be a regional and global power and a leading actor."
"Everyone can see how far Türkiye has come in the past 20 years"
Academician Yalçın stated that the "Century of Türkiye" was an ambitious concept and that Türkiye aspired to become one of the countries that shape global politics.
Yalçın stated that if Türkiye wanted to be independent and did not have any claims, it would have no problems with anyone, and added:
"If you do not challenge anyone, you will not have problems with anyone. Problems arise if you desire to be strong and independent on your own. Everyone can see how far Türkiye has come in the past 20 years. Turkish drones are in high demand in many parts of the world. Look at what's been going on in the last few weeks; something new came along every day. The 5th generation aircraft came out, and Togg is on the roads. We spend 60 billion dollars on energy each year, and if that money were saved, military spending would be 15 billion dollars.
Russia's military spending is 65 billion dollars, and it's a military superpower. Why is Türkiye not a superpower? Because the amount spent just on energy prevents this. After the War of Independence, we were excluded from the oil regions. The 'Century of Türkiye' means that 'we will achieve this.' We want to be a country that shapes its own destiny. We've come a long way in 10 years. In 1960, we produced the Devrim (Revolution) automobile. There was no shortage of engineers, but we did not have a government that could look after that car. Now that government is in power."
Academician Kutay pointed out Türkiye's progress over the last 20 years, emphasising that the country is now self-sufficient and self-producing.
Noting that he found the fourth generation living in Europe to be particularly successful, Kutay indicated that the number of Turkish professors teaching German children at universities in Germany, as well as the number of Turkish judges making decisions in courts, would grow in the future.
