President Erdoğan: We bid farewell to those who do wrong and succumb to their ego

Erdoğan made statements following the participation at the AKP Extended Provincial Chairmen Meeting.

Here are the highlights from Erdoğan's statements:

We are one of the largest and most powerful political movements not only in Turkey but in the world. No matter how much I praise Almighty God, it is not enough. We are walking this path with a tremendous organization that has no equal in the world in terms of its diligence, sincerity, and passion for serving its country and nation.

First of all, I would like to congratulate every single member of our organization who works selflessly, day and night, for the growth and strengthening of our cause, and especially for it to take root in the hearts of our youth. Almighty God has given them such excitement and such enthusiasm for their services, efforts, and, of course, their sincerity that, yes, we say that the path does not wear out by walking, and you continue on this path by walking it, God willing, regardless of mountains or stones. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

"I WISH TO DISCUSS SOME ISSUES WITH AN OPEN HEART"

I am experiencing the happiness of being with you at our 182nd Extended Provincial Chairmen Meeting. I pray to my Lord that our meeting brings goodness to our party, our country, our nation, and our democracy. I thank each of you in advance for the contributions you will make to our meeting with your valuable ideas, criticisms, and observations. I say may the Almighty make our affection and solidarity permanent. My dear fellow travelers, today I wish to discuss some issues with you with an open heart. I want to have a sincere reckoning, to share our troubles, and to converse with you without any barriers in my heart.

"WE CARRY THE BURDEN OF BOTH THE PAST AND THE FUTURE"

Now, my dear brothers, there is a point I always emphasize regarding our AK Party. We took over this movement from those before us. Do not forget. We are carrying a trust. When the time comes, we will hand over this sacred trust to those after us, God willing, with glory, honor, and the peace of having fulfilled our duty properly. The history of this movement spans centuries. God willing, as long as the world exists, this movement will exist.

Look, we are not just carrying the burden of today, of this moment, on our shoulders. We are carrying the burden of the past, the present, and the future. I always say, anyone who believes that this movement exists only because of them is in a great delusion. Anyone who says, "If I were not here, this movement would not exist," and thinks this way, is in a state of great negligence. Anyone who believes that the mistake they made is limited only to themselves and that they are only tying their own luck to it is likewise in a great delusion.

We founded this party to defend the rights, laws, and honor of those poor people who earn their living honestly and are crushed between the gears of the old system, and to keep their heads held high. We are here to protect the rights of the poor, the needy, and the destitute. We are engaged in politics for this purpose. We will fight for this until the inevitable end comes. The AK Party set out on August 14, 2001, as the party of the poor, the oppressed, the victims, the stranded, the pushed aside, and the forgotten. The mission of the AK Party has not changed by an iota over a quarter of a century. God willing, it will never change.

"NO ONE CAN COME BETWEEN US AND OUR CAUSE OF SERVING THE NATION"

No one can come between us and our cause of serving the nation, the Ummah, and humanity; no one has been able to, and no one will be able to in the future. I want everyone to know this very, very well. We are who we were yesterday. We are the same today as we were when we were founded. Our goal 25 years ago is the same as it is today. Our goal will remain the same tomorrow. My brothers, do not forget, we are the party of those who soak their prayer rugs with tears, those who go door to door to win one more heart, those who hit the road in rain, snow, and the scorching heat of summer, those who sacrifice their families, children, jobs, and businesses for the success of this movement, and the tens of millions who turn polling stations into festivals in every election. The AK Party is a political movement founded and grown by this nation, cared for like the apple of its eye, supported and prayed for during its most critical times, and defended at the cost of life when necessary. Of course, within such a large movement, such a crowded movement, there may be those who act with very different identities, different characters, and different intentions. There may be those who carry different agendas or have different priorities.

Look, we have seen every example of this in 25 years. Some got dizzy. Some fell into the trap of arrogance. Some put their personal cause ahead of the cause of the nation and the Ummah. Some lost their way. Some became slaves to their egos. Some were deceived by the devil. Some infiltrated or were infiltrated into our ranks specifically to pollute this sacred movement, this noble movement, this pure movement.

We put each of them aside. We held them accountable. We continued on our path with determination. My brothers, this is the quality that makes the AK Party the AK Party. Do not forget, we walk by renewing ourselves. We advance by refreshing ourselves. We are reborn every moment. We bid farewell to those who do wrong and succumb to their egos, and we continue on our path by growing stronger.

The AK Party is a party as clean (ak) as its name. It is a party that lives up to its name. No one can damage the purity of this party. No one can cast a shadow on that purity.

My brothers, do not forget, having a new name can only bring them nothing but becoming obsolete. We do not show tolerance to anyone on this matter. We do not treat anyone who has contributed to our party, worked for this movement, or lent a shoulder to it with injustice or disloyalty. However, we have no business, and cannot have any business, with those who reach out for the state's property or the nation's property.