Erdoğan's 51 percent target: A message for re-nomination?

AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made statements at his party's Adana Provincial Congress.

The highlights from Erdoğan's statements are as follows:

"Every position we hold is a trust from our nation. These duties have been entrusted to us so that we may serve. It is to serve our party and our nation with passion, without letting ambition, arrogance, or petty squabbles get in the way. We have great goals; we will trample our egos and our desires underfoot.

We will not fall into the traps the opposition tries to lure us into. No one can remove from the hearts of the people those who have entered them. And no one can save those who have fallen from them." 

''THE 51 PERCENT MESSAGE''

We cannot engage in politics like the opposition, without putting forward any vision. We cannot look at those playing at opposition with card games and say 'this job is done.' We cannot act with a 'ready-made' mentality. Whatever we do, we must do it with our own labor; whatever we earn, we must earn by deserving it.

By launching a great mobilization, we will strive to receive at least 51 percent in the elections. As long as God grants us life, we will continue to serve all of Turkey, together with Adana. I ask you to work without stopping, without falling into complacency, with the same excitement as on August 14, 2001.

We are holding our provincial congress at a time when historical events are taking place in our region. In Syria, the 61-year-old Baath regime and the 14-year bloody process have finally come to an end. They did not give up on resisting the regime's brutal attacks with patience for 14 years. We, too, have pursued a policy worthy of our faith, our culture, and our history. We embraced the oppressed, held the hand of the needy, and protected the orphan.

In the May 14-28 elections, a candidate appeared before us and said, 'We will send them all back to where they came from.' Our nation gave the answer to this lack of conscience and politics of hatred at the ballot box. Then, his party pulled the chair out from under him. Now, there is no one knocking on his door or looking at his face. We did what was befitting of us. In the end, compassion, solidarity, and brotherhood won.

Israel could not break the resistance in Gaza. Gaza could not be taken over, did not kneel, and did not give up. Pressure must be put on Israel so that there is no return to the old status quo in Gaza. We know very well that Israel, and especially Netanyahu, has a quite extensive record of ceasefire violations. This time, this must not be allowed.

ÖZEL'S 'DECLARATION OF WAR' REMARKS

You see the state of the main opposition... We are looking for a bit of seriousness and dignity, but we cannot find it. They have become the entertainment of the youth and children. They are constantly trying to trip each other up.

They talk about a declaration of war. I ask Özel here: 'What do you know that you would know these things? What are you following that you would follow these things? Are you following Esenyurt or Beşiktaş?' If you are still unaware of these recent developments, then leave this post... I suppose someone will come and take this duty from your hands.

Instead of blaming us, instead of blaming the court, why don't you fight against this system of robbery that is wrapping around the CHP like a poisonous ivy? What does Ülkü Tamer say; he neither knows his lesson, nor is he fatter than everyone else... You leave these things alone, go play card games. You go make puzzles with red cards, busy yourselves with those."

RESPONSE TO ÖZGÜR ÖZEL'S RED CARD 

"Some are trying to show a red card. It is unclear whether they are playing 'pişpirik' or poker, or what they are doing. They probably haven't been able to serve as a center referee until today. At most, they will serve as assistant referees. Let them continue. We will hand them a red card and continue on our way. 

I had a 20-year football career. I never received a red card in my life. These people don't understand this business. We have been showing which card is shown where and how for 22 years. This nation has never shown a red card to the AK Party to this day, but these people could not escape the red card themselves.