Erdoğan to CHP's Sezgin Tanrıkulu: 'A so-called MP, but a terrorist draft'

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended and spoke at the "108th Term District Governorship Course Draw Ceremony" at the Presidential Palace.

Wishing the candidates success, Erdoğan said, "Our district governors have the opportunity to leave a mark wherever they go with their personal abilities and to make their stamp on the cities where they serve. Our fair and compassionate district governors must be a helping hand that reaches the most remote points of their areas of responsibility. We are obligated to serve all 85 million."

"A district governor has no working hours, no night or day. There is no weekend holiday. A person who clocks out around 5 or 6 in the evening like a 9-to-5 worker can never be an administrator," said Erdoğan, adding, "Country administration is not a profession to be practiced only during office hours. We do not accept the tutelary mentality that builds insurmountable walls between the state and the nation, as it was in the old Turkey. I expect you to embrace your work with a tempo and motivation that will work and hustle 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in the districts where you serve representing us. As president, this is how I work. I sleep 5-6 hours. Sometimes I get home at 12, sometimes at 1. Otherwise, it wouldn't work. That is why I expect this from you as well," he stated.

REACTION TO TANRIKULU

Reacting to the remarks made by CHP Diyarbakır MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu regarding the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), Erdoğan said:

"No one will be able to block the construction of the Century of Turkey. It is understood that this determination is keeping some people awake at night. You see it. How can a so-called MP, but a terrorist draft, insult my soldiers? We have an obligation to teach the necessary lesson, both as a state and as a judiciary. The TSK's successful operations in Gabar are making them uncomfortable."

"THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A STAIN OF COLONIALISM, NOR HAS THERE BEEN RACISM OR FASCISM IN ANY PERIOD OF OUR HISTORY"

Stating that "Some politicians inside the country, unfortunately, support these attempts at sedition, especially the fugitive FETÖ members abroad," Erdoğan continued:

"These individuals, who are played like puppets, are carrying water to the mill of the country's enemies, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Our nation is a nation with a heart as vast as the geography of Anatolia. It is a noble nation known throughout the world for its tolerance. There has never been a stain of colonialism, nor has there been racism or fascism in any period of our history. In our past, there is only a tradition of tolerating those who are different, reaching out to those in need, and winning hearts. We can never allow insidious games to take root. We will thwart the efforts of 3-5 charlatans organizing on social media to turn our country into a place of fire. As a state, we will take every necessary measure against those who step outside the law and extinguish this fire of sedition before it grows. Our line and stance are clear; we will neither allow illegal migrants nor permit merchants of sedition. We will meticulously address every threat to the rights and freedoms of our people. Just as we will not allow fascist lumpenism like xenophobia to spread in society, we will also solve the problems related to illegal migration. I believe that the number of returnees will increase with the housing projects we have launched with the financial support of Qatar."