Parliament Speaker Kurtulmuş: Turkey is no longer that old Turkey that doesn't know what it's saying and doesn't even believe its own words

Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş attended the "Turkish Community Meeting" in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, where he was present for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Presidents' Summit. Emphasizing that there are hundreds of millions of people around the world who feel part of Turkey's national existence, Kurtulmuş stressed that Turkey's strength is not limited to its own citizens, and that the power and prayers of these people, who are wholeheartedly attached to Turkey, are among the important factors that strengthen the country.

Expressing that it is a source of pride to see that the institutional capacity of Turkey's institutions and organizations has been developing in recent years, especially in the Western world, Kurtulmuş said, "Turkey is aware of the opportunities and power it possesses today. We need to continue on our path in solidarity and cooperation in every field to increase this power, starting with our national existence."

Stating that one of the most important powers in the hands of countries like Turkey is "soft power," Kurtulmuş said, "We will be strong, our economy will be strong. We will be strong, our military and our defense industry will be strong. But at least as much as that, having a positive perception in people's minds and hearts—people saying, 'These people, this country, this nation, they stand for rights, law, and justice; they stand for peace and tranquility'—and having such positive perceptions in people's minds and hearts is one of the most important reflections of power."

"TURKS ARE THE VOICE OF FAIRNESS"

Pointing out that, with the exception of some limited circles hostile to Turkey, there are very large masses of people everywhere in the world who have a positive approach toward Turkey and the Turkish people, Kurtulmuş shared a memory regarding Afghanistan. Parliament Speaker Kurtulmuş said, "We were returning from the airport; those were extremely difficult days, days when there was not even enough security to go from the airport to the Presidential Palace by helicopter.

In those days, our Turkish mission there, for example, our Mehmetçik (Turkish soldiers), would go to the people, provide education and health aid, open roads in villages, and bring water. One of the commanders told us something at the airport that brought tears to all our eyes: The commander said, 'We went there, and in Afghanistan, Afghan women do not enter places where there are foreign men because they are considered 'namahrem' (forbidden/private). However, the Afghan people, the women, the young, and the old, do not run away from our Turkish soldiers when they enter there, they do not move away from them.

When Turks enter there, inside, into the room, they do not leave. Finally, I asked through an interpreter: 'You run away from men because they are namahrem, so why don't you run away from us?' I asked. An Afghan woman gave this answer: 'Turkish soldiers are not namahrem to us.' In other words, she sees them like her brother, her older brother, her father. There is no other country in the world that possesses such great soft power."

Explaining that they went to the Ayvaz Dede festivals during the days when Bosnia and Herzegovina had just gained its independence, and that people there were celebrating these festivals with Turkish flags alongside the Bosnian flags and the flags given by the European Union, Kurtulmuş said, "No country in the world can give its own flag to a single Bosnian and send them to the Ayvaz Dede festival. This is the great power of our nation. We must be aware of this power. While we are protecting and strengthening our existence here as citizens of the Republic of Turkey, we will never forget this. This legacy is a great legacy. This legacy is a legacy that we must multiply and pass on to future generations. Turks are the voice of justice, equity, humanity, conscience, and fairness, and they are a nation that spreads this," he declared.

Stating that people who come to geographical regions with high attraction power usually assimilate, but that the Turkish community does not assimilate and has succeeded in integrating very strongly, Numan Kurtulmuş said, "What matters is not living here, but the conditions under which we maintain our existence here."

"WE MUST INCREASE THE STRENGTH OF OUR VOICE"

Parliament Speaker Kurtulmuş stated that for this reason, Turkish communities must maintain their presence in Europe very strongly. Noting that there are over 300 non-governmental organizations in Belgium, Kurtulmuş said, "We are obliged to increase the strength of our voice with strong NGOs."

Drawing attention to the fact that non-governmental organizations should be prevented from turning into small fiefdoms, Kurtulmuş said, "It should be such that each NGO should become a mainstream organization in its own field, and an NGO that will be an example to all other segments of society with different cultures here."

Stating that it is necessary to raise Turkish youth who will be star students in their fields, beyond just having an opinion or a diploma in one area, Kurtulmuş requested support for aid provided to the field of education. Reporting that there are around 130 Turkish citizens involved in local politics in Belgium, Kurtulmuş said, "It is a beautiful thing, but it is not enough. We need to have friends who will exist in the central politics of Belgium, especially in both federal parliaments and other central parliaments, and we need our qualified brothers and sisters who represent the feelings and thoughts of the Turkish community here and who truly have a bond of heart with Turkey to become effective in politics. It is important that some of our friends living here exist within the TBMM. I know that there are many friends from all parties in the current parliament as well. But the main issue we expect from the Turkish community abroad is to ensure that our well-educated youth and our people here are much more effective in politics and much more strongly represented in the parliaments here," he said.

"TURKEY IS NOT THAT OLD TURKEY THAT DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IT'S SAYING AND DOESN'T EVEN BELIEVE ITS OWN WORDS"

Requesting that Turks living abroad not break their bonds of heart with Turkey, Kurtulmuş said that Turkey's representative offices abroad are among the people, unlike in the past.

Stating that Turkey has cultural diplomacy institutions all over the world, Kurtulmuş expressed that the "hard work" and efforts of these institutions in places where Turkish citizens are present are a source of pride for Turkey. Reporting that there are people all over the world who are learning Turkish and striving to become familiar with Turkish culture through the Maarif Foundation and the Yunus Emre Institute, Kurtulmuş said, "Turkey is truly not that old Turkey that doesn't know what it's saying, or even doesn't believe what it's saying itself. Turkey is now a Turkey that has goals, has a perspective, knows how to move toward the future, and while doing so, sees both its own people, at home and abroad, and its national existence as its greatest asset. We will continue on our path in this direction," he stated.

Expressing that Turkey is located in a difficult geography, Kurtulmuş emphasized that Turkey has no choice but to stand as a strong and dignified country in such a geography.

Touching upon the point where Turkey stands in the Russia-Ukraine war, Kurtulmuş explained that they defend Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, that they are against annexation, and that they are making efforts to establish a fair and lasting peace as soon as possible.

"PALESTINE WILL BE REBUILT"

Drawing attention to the fact that statistics on how many people have died in the genocide Israel is carrying out in Gaza cannot even be kept, Kurtulmuş said that those who are tens of thousands of kilometers away continue to stir up the Middle East "as if playing a war game." Expressing that many people in the international community who hide behind big words come out and say "This is a crime against humanity" but do not raise their voices against the oppression of the Israeli government, Kurtulmuş said, "Thank God, no matter what governments do, people in many parts of the world have started to say 'stop' to this brutality.

The march held here last Sunday with massive crowds approaching 150 thousand people is also a clear slap in the face of the governments that remained silent. The front of humanity has begun to win all over the world. And I hope we will all witness together that a new world will be rebuilt on the axis of humanity after these sufferings of Palestine.

For them, the Middle East is a part of a war game, a place far away, thousands of kilometers away. For us, the Middle East is the name of a region where we have memories in every street, and where our national existence prays for us in every street. Therefore, we are disturbed by even a single drop of blood shed in this region. Likewise, it is essential that the unilateral attacks launched by Israel against Iran, which are being carried out in a brutal manner, be ended mutually and that calm and tranquility be restored in the region with a final ceasefire as soon as possible," he said.

"THERE IS NO POWER IN THE WORLD THAT CAN HOLD TURKEY BACK"

Explaining that God gives nations opportunities, chances, and time, and that Turkey has the opportunity and chance today, Kurtulmuş said, "We pray and wish for the Almighty God to give us, this nation, time and to increase its opportunities so that it can become even stronger. However, others will not do the work in the world on our behalf. We will all work together to realize our goals in the world. Turkey and you, our dear friends and brothers who are Turkey's presence abroad, we will all work together. And I hope that we will primarily ensure unity and solidarity within ourselves," he stated.

Pointing out that military, economic, cultural, and diplomatic power are necessary, Kurtulmuş said, "What is more necessary and more essential than all of these is that the inner fortress be solid, and that national unity and solidarity be fully established. Even if you are not 86 million but 386 million, if everyone goes somewhere else, if everyone turns in a different direction, no results will come from that. But if we all work together, seeing our differences as a source of wealth, and continue on our path in unity and brotherhood, leaving aside our ethnic, sectarian, and denominational differences within the consciousness of common citizenship, there is no power in the world that can hold Turkey back, and there will not be," he declared.

Stating that they will strive to complete their duties as the TBMM for a Turkey without terrorism, Numan Kurtulmuş said, "Our Republic is 100 years old. 50 years of this, Turkey was occupied with terrorism. The world's heaviest shackles were placed on our feet as a burden. We lost tens of thousands of our people. Turkey suffered a financial loss of at least 2 trillion dollars. Now we will leave these behind, and we will build together a Turkey where weapons do not speak, where there is no terrorism, where separatist ideas are not brought to the agenda, where everyone is equal before the law, where everyone is equal in exercising their rights, and where people live together in brotherhood. We will leave behind all the imperialist apparatuses and ideas that are tried to be inserted among us," he said.