Erdoğan backs Alpay Özalan, calls Ahmet Şık a 'provocateur'

AKP İzmir MP Alpay Özalan's attack on TİP Istanbul MP Ahmet Şık during the Can Atalay session in the Turkish Parliament continues to be a major topic of discussion.

AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has broken his silence on the matter.

Speaking at a mass opening ceremony in Bitlis, Erdoğan called Ahmet Şık a 'provocateur'.

Backing Alpay Özalan, Erdoğan stated, "We have been following who is shielding a marginal figure who engages in provocation in Parliament. If they could, they would have declared this provocateur, who insults the nation from the parliamentary podium, a champion of democracy. The opposition lining up behind this chorus like a string of beads is a sign of surrender. A handful of marginals have taken the opposition hostage and are twisting them around their fingers."

"THEY ARE HANDING IT OVER TO MONEYED ELITES"

Targeting the opposition in his speech, Erdoğan said, "For years they tried to lecture us on the environment, and now they are handing over Istanbul's most precious environmental treasure to moneyed elites."

Here are the highlights from Erdoğan's speech:

"Just as a brother supports his own brother, you have supported us. You have embraced us with affection. May God make our brotherhood eternal. We are guests in Bitlis today and in Muş tomorrow to commemorate the 953rd anniversary of our Malazgirt Victory.

I want to pay our debt of gratitude to Bitlis. In the March 31 elections, Bitlis remained loyal to the promise it made to us and once again chose the service politics of the AK Party and the People's Alliance. I thank my brothers and sisters in Bitlis.

We will continue to work, produce, and serve the people of Bitlis without stopping day or night. Today, we are experiencing the joy of bringing public and private sector investments, each more important than the other, to our city. We are officially opening family health centers, 112 stations, an indoor sports hall, a stadium, a camp training center, a student dormitory, a kindergarten, a primary school, a middle school, and staff housing today.

We are opening service buildings and government offices belonging to various public institutions for service on this occasion. I wish them to be beneficial. Our municipalities of Ahlat, Hizan, and Yolalan continue to serve the citizens whose trust they carry. Our TOKİ Presidency has completed the national garden in Tatvan, along with its social facilities, infrastructure, and landscaping. TOKİ has also completed the construction of 218 residences and 2 trade centers in Ahlat with an investment of 1 billion 96 million liras.

The total amount of investments made in Bitlis during our governments has exceeded 76 billion liras. We have signed off on works that will change the face of our city in every field from education to health, from agriculture to transportation. Currently, our environmental and urbanization investment of 1 billion 776 million liras is ongoing in Bitlis. As we complete these, we will place them at your service.

"THE OLD TURKEY IS LEFT BEHIND"

The defense industry is at the forefront of the areas where we have written an epic over the last 22 years. We have made our country, which was 80 percent dependent on foreign countries, capable of producing its own weapons and ammunition. Yesterday, we added our submarine to the ranks of our navy at our Aksaz Shipyard Command. Today, we are laying the foundation for an explosive material production facility to be implemented in Bitlis.

As the dark shadow of terrorism retreats from our eastern and southeastern provinces, the untapped potential of our cities is emerging. Our regional provinces have gained a very different momentum. Peace has replaced fear, and trust has replaced anxiety. As the environment of peace strengthens throughout our region, investments are progressing much faster. Today, we are extracting one of our country's largest oil reserves in Gabar.

The old Turkey is now completely left behind. The days when our people were marginalized because of their origin, faith, or language are now behind us. The days when politics were designed with the stick of terrorism and our country's direction was drawn are behind us. The old days of bans, oppression, scarcity, and poverty are completely behind us, never to return. We will not allow anyone to take away the gains we have achieved by paying very heavy prices. We will not allow the terrorist threat to be revived. We have no problem, and cannot have any, with those who work to serve our cities on a constitutional basis.

"THEY ARE HANDING OVER ISTANBUL'S MOST PRECIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL TREASURE TO MONEYED ELITES"

For years they tried to lecture us on the environment, and now they are handing over Istanbul's most precious environmental treasure to moneyed elites. They were peddling morality over merit morning and night. They turned the municipalities they took over into family farms. Behind the mask of populism emerged an elitism addicted to ostentation, enjoying themselves in European capitals with the people's money.

"IF THEY COULD, THEY WOULD HAVE DECLARED HIM A CHAMPION OF DEMOCRACY"

We have all followed together who is shielding a marginal figure who engages in provocation in a manner unbecoming of the dignity of the Grand National Assembly. If they could, they would have declared this provocateur, who insults the nation in the nation's parliament, insults the national will, and whose tongue drips with hatred, a champion of democracy. The opposition lining up behind such a person like a string of beads is a sign of surrender. A handful of marginals who are at odds with the nation's values have taken the main opposition and other opposition parties hostage and are twisting them around their fingers."