Erdoğan: 'We will never allow those who want to engage in pirate politics'

President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized the importance of protecting the ballot box while speaking at the AKP Extended Provincial Election Affairs Heads Meeting. He stated, "We will not leave the field to political bandits. We will work day and night. We will leave our mark on the field."

Highlights from Erdoğan's statements were as follows:

"Our real work is just beginning, the Century of Turkey is just beginning. We are consigning the Turkey of single-party fascism, coups, coalitions, and oppression to the dusty shelves of history, never to return. The era is the era of the Century of Turkey. The footsteps of the Century of Turkey are thundering. Those who yearn for the old Turkey feel a sense of doubt in every election, but when they see the results, they settle down. They want to seize the municipal elections first, then drag the country into chaos and set their sights on the central government. Do not think they want the municipalities for service. Their concern is to plunder the rent they will obtain through the municipalities with their dirty alliance partners.

The world has changed, Turkey has changed, the face of our cities has changed, but the understanding of opposition in our country has not changed. The CHP, which holds the title of the country's second-largest party, has lost its way to the point of entering into cooperation with terrorist organizations. They are not ashamed to walk arm in arm with the extensions of the separatist organization in Istanbul. No one knows what was agreed upon with Kandil in return. We will not hand over the municipalities to these parties that have lost their orbit to this decrepit politics.

Elections are won in two places. The first is the field, the street. The second is the ballot box. If we do not work well, we will lose the ballot box. In our understanding of politics, there is no mentality of 'you will vote willy-nilly.' We have no eyes on anyone's vote, but we cannot allow even a single vote cast for us to be wasted. In some places, we are facing political bandits who are also devoid of morality. We must encourage our citizens to go to the ballot box and we must master all phases of the process. Otherwise, we will lose an election won in the hearts at the ballot box. The slightest gap will certainly be used against us. We will not leave the field to political bandits. We will work day and night. We will leave our mark on the field.

Since the first day it was founded, the AK Party has emerged first in every election it has entered, thanks to its dominance in both the field and the ballot box. We will not let anyone take the first place from us on March 31 either. Do not give any credit to circus acrobats who say, 'If I win the election, I will still be in the AK Party.' The AK Party is not a party of individuals, but a party of a cause. It is a party of dedication. We will never allow those who want to leave the AK Party and engage in pirate politics in the shadow of this party.

We have a lot of work to do as both a party and a government. We are obliged to continue our politics of works and services. The People's Alliance, which unites around the unity of our country, the survival of our state, and the goal of a great and strong Turkey, has no equal. I also thank the other parties and chairmen who support the People's Alliance."