President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks at the first AKP group meeting after the elections: 'It is not over until we say it is over, and it will not be over'

President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at his party's first group meeting following the March 31 elections.

Highlights from Erdoğan's remarks are as follows:

We held the elections on Sunday, March 31, before the holiday. I would like to express my satisfaction that the elections were conducted in peace and tranquility across our country. Thank God, there were no security issues during the elections. The democratic maturity displayed by our nation on election day, following a campaign period with a high level of competition, is commendable. Despite all the campaigns conducted against our country, we have ensured that our democracy successfully passed a ballot box test.

I wish the March 31 elections to be auspicious for our country, our nation, and our cities. I would like to extend my gratitude here to our election boards, our law enforcement officers, our healthcare personnel, and our poll workers. My fellow travelers and comrades-in-arms deserve the greatest appreciation here. AKP organizations fought and worked hard throughout the election day and the campaign period.

HE THANKED DEVLET BAHÇELİ

The People's Alliance, which we established in the squares against the FETÖ scoundrels on the night of July 15 together with the AKP organizations, has also emerged from the latest elections with its head held high. It has been understood once again how important our alliance is. I would also like to thank Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, the Chairman of the MHP, with whom we act together, and our nationalist brothers.

The March 31 election marathon will be completed after the Supreme Election Council (YSK) announces the final results. A decision has been made to renew elections in 7 locations. Our citizens will go to the polls there on June 2. As the AKP and the People's Alliance, we will prepare for these elections from now on. The March 31 results deserve a comprehensive evaluation. The first notable feature of these elections is the low level of participation. With a 78 percent turnout rate, the March 31 elections have been recorded as the local elections with the lowest participation in the last 20 years. We are focusing and will continue to focus sensitively on the reasons for this. The low turnout rate also negatively affected our party's vote share. We see that a significant portion of our people who give us strong support refrained from going to the polls. We are analyzing the reasons for this. The March 31 elections were concluded with the superiority of the People's Alliance with a 40.5 percent vote share. Our nation has entrusted a total of 539 municipalities to the AKP.

MESSAGE ON HATAY

I have to open a special parenthesis for Hatay. Since the earthquakes, Hatay has been a city that has been constantly used as a political talking point. They tried very hard to spoil our relationship with Hatay. They attempted to play with our social fault lines through Hatay. With the March 31 elections, Hatay has very clearly demonstrated its stance against these dirty scenarios. Every method, including putting pressure on the YSK, was tried, and many absurd lies such as "the dead were allowed to vote" were told. The YSK has put an end to these delusions. In the coming period, we will visit our city and express our gratitude to our brothers and sisters in Hatay in person.

"THEY ARE TRYING TO CREATE A DUAL STRUCTURE"

Looking at the results, we see those who forget that this is a local election and get carried away. There are wretches who think they will govern the country with the atmosphere of a general election. Some are trying to create a dual structure in Turkey by calling it local government and central government in their own minds. Unless such rhetoric is a move to pay a debt of gratitude to the alliance partners they are fed by, it is nothing more than a pipe dream. There is only one alliance in our 81 provinces. That is the President and his Cabinet.

"WE WILL MAKE THE COMING PERIOD A TURNING POINT FOR A RESURGENCE"

We need to read the messages given by the nation at the ballot box correctly before anyone else, and we need to evaluate them objectively. Making this self-criticism is our duty to our noble nation, which stands by us at the cost of their lives when necessary. Our nation asked us to make a courageous self-criticism. We are aware of this. While we hold our nation's messages in high regard, we will also do what is necessary for these messages. We will carry out the necessary changes within our own structure. We will make the coming period a turning point for a new resurgence. The AKP will continue to be the party of this country and this nation. Every time, we stood up from where we fell, got up, and continued on our way.

"IT IS NOT OVER UNTIL WE SAY IT IS OVER, AND IT WILL NOT BE OVER"

One side is shouting with joy over the AKP's vote shares, while the other is painting a negative picture. I want to state this very clearly. They have not understood what kind of party the AKP is. Ladies and gentlemen, let everyone know this. Nothing is over until we say it is over, and it will not be over. We are Turkey's most dynamic party. We read the voter's message correctly, we do what is necessary, we fix the malfunctions, we eliminate the deficiencies, and we set off again. Let no one rejoice, let no one get their hopes up. We are here. We see very well those who try to disrupt the balance of the AKP by taking advantage of the election results. We do not need any guidance from anyone other than our nation. There is no bread for the opposition here either. Our ministers, you, our esteemed deputies, and our entire organization will start going among our people from today, and we will continue our service to our nation with our heads held high and our self-confidence intact.

MESSAGE ON INFLATION

In light of the messages from the ballot box, we are starting to take the necessary steps. We will carry the nation's trust on our shoulders with determination. We know very well what our nation expects from us and our government. In the 4 years ahead, when there are no elections, we will hopefully conclude our fight against inflation with victory. We did it in the past, we will do it again.

"NO ONE CAN QUESTION US ON THE PALESTINE ISSUE"

We will pursue our rights without taking a step back on issues concerning Turkey's security. The terrorist state of Israel has been committing genocide in both Gaza and the West Bank since October 7. Israel is carrying out a massacre that has already been written into human history with shame, in a state of great arrogance. Now, during the election process and after the election, unfair accusations have been made against me and our party from certain centers. We have also seen these being used against us. They have cast aspersions on us, our party, and our government through false claims. Some so-called parties, even though they know how we stand on this issue, have showered us with criticism. I did not want to say this, but I was forced to. No one has the capacity to question either myself or this glorious cadre on the Palestine issue. Our lives have been spent with the Palestinian struggle.

News Source: 12punto