President Erdoğan: If God grants life and health, I will continue to struggle to serve for many more years

Erdoğan attended the AKP's 25th anniversary program at the Capital Nation's Garden (Başkent Millet Bahçesi). Before beginning his speech, Erdoğan conveyed his greetings to his People's Alliance partner, MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, on behalf of his party and all his fellow travelers. He expressed that they were experiencing a historic day and were marking the 25th anniversary with great pride, noting the joy of having completed a quarter-century as the AK cadre.

Thanking everyone who has served at various levels under the AKP umbrella since August 14, 2001, individually, Erdoğan said, "It is impossible for us to forget the dedication shown to this movement by our founders and administrators who have given their hearts to this cause for a quarter-century, including the family of my brother Abdülmecit, who is currently among us.

I thank all my fellow travelers and comrades, from our ministers to our deputies, from our provincial, district, and town heads to our mayors, from our council members to our neighborhood and village representatives, and from our ballot box observers to our members. I thank our sisters who have sincerely embraced this movement since its first day, and all members of the AK Party Women's Branches, once again from the bottom of my heart today.

I thank our youth who have added color and dynamism to our party for 25 years, the youth of the AK Party with bright foreheads, pure hearts, and bright futures. I likewise thank our voters from the bottom of my heart, who have turned the ballot boxes into a festive atmosphere from the early hours of the morning every time an election was held. I also sincerely thank our citizens whose votes we have not been able to receive to date, but whose preferences we have approached with respect, for their contributions to our democracy. I thank our alliance partners, with whom we have walked together for the survival of Turkey and the future of our nation within the People's Alliance that we established in the squares on the night of July 15, for their solidarity. On this occasion, I also thank MHP Chairman Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, who celebrated our 25th anniversary by sending specially prepared flowers, and the esteemed chairmen of our political parties who shared our excitement by calling or sending messages," he stated.

"This party was founded by the nation, its fabric was woven by the nation, and its dough was kneaded by the nation"

Stating that the AKP was founded 25 years ago as the hope of the nation, Erdoğan said, "This party was founded by the nation, its fabric was woven by the nation, and its dough was kneaded by the nation. At a time when politics was deadlocked, the economy was experiencing a severe crisis, and Turkey could not see its future, we set out with the motto 'nothing will ever be the same again.' We said, 'Problems are not unsolvable.' We said, 'Solutions are not impossible.' We said, 'There is a way out of here.' We said, 'We have a prescription, we have solution proposals, we have hope, excitement, and effort.' We founded the AK Party on August 14, 2001, and while doing so, we told all of Turkey, 'Closed to darkness, open to light.' We said, 'Enough, the word and the decision belong to the nation.'"

"We have brought Turkey the greatest investments and the greatest projects in its history in economy, health, education, and transportation"

Reminding that they entered the elections on November 3, 2002, just 15 months after the party was founded, and came to power alone with the favor of the nation, Erdoğan said, "What did they say? They said, 'They cannot do it.' We did it, and we did it in the best way possible. We relieved Turkey, we multiplied hope. First and foremost, we raised Turkey's self-confidence, the nation's self-confidence. As the AK Party, we produced solutions to the representation deficit in politics with the national will, to the stability deficit with strong and predictable governance, to the performance deficit with our work and service politics, to the development deficit with investment and entrepreneurship, and to the self-confidence deficit with a Turkey-centered vision of the future. We have brought Turkey the greatest investments and the greatest projects in its history in economy, health, education, and transportation. We used the authority we received from the nation and the resources we collected for our nation, to grow, develop, and strengthen our country," he said.

"We have brought Turkey to the position of a country whose 'word is strong and power is effective'"

Describing the 25-year performance record of the AKP, Erdoğan continued his words as follows:

"We spent 37 trillion liras on education, 14 trillion liras on health, 5 trillion liras on youth and sports, 12 trillion liras on social aid, 4 trillion liras on justice, 3 trillion liras on internal affairs, and a total of 5 trillion liras within AFAD. We used resources of 7 trillion liras for labor and social security, 15 trillion liras for transportation, 19 trillion liras for environment and urbanization, 11 trillion liras for culture and tourism, 7 trillion liras for agriculture and forestry, 8 trillion liras for energy, 374 billion dollars for the defense industry, and 2 trillion liras for industry and technology. With our incentives, we paved the way for 129 thousand investments worth 19 trillion liras and 4 million 128 thousand qualified jobs. Our annual exports, which were 36 billion dollars, rose to 278 billion dollars in June. Our national income reached 1 trillion 600 billion dollars from 240 billion dollars. Turkey, which was the 21st largest economy in the world, rose to 16th in the world and 6th in Europe as of 2025. Our foreign policy has brought Turkey to the position of a country whose 'word is strong and power is effective' in its region and in the world."

"We have made a country that used to buy even its infantry rifles from abroad capable of making its own warships and unmanned aircraft"

Pointing out that they have written an epic in the defense industry and that they have made a country that used to buy even its infantry rifles from abroad capable of making its own warships, unmanned aircraft, helicopters, tanks, missiles, and submarines, President Erdoğan said, "Today, Turkish defense industry products are used in 185 countries around the world with an annual export figure exceeding 10 billion dollars. We have brought Turkey into a new era in the field of transportation. We built exactly 24 thousand kilometers of new divided roads. We doubled the length of our highways. We connected the two continents underground with Marmaray and the Eurasia Tunnel, and above ground with the Yavuz Sultan Selim and 1915 Çanakkale Bridges. Our number of airports, which was 26, increased to 58. When those under construction are put into service, this number will be 60. It was our privilege to introduce Turkey to the comfort of high-speed trains. We built 2,251 kilometers of high-speed train lines from scratch. We will connect our 27 cities with a high-speed train network by 2028. In 2053, all of Turkey will be able to be traveled by high-speed train in 48 hours. We have raised Turkey's standards in education in terms of quantity and quality. We built 422 thousand new classrooms; we appointed a total of 836 thousand new teachers. We said we would end the headscarf ban; we ended it in universities, schools, and the public sector. We said we would remove the coefficient injustice in university entrance; we removed it. We said we would abolish tuition fees and distribute textbooks for free; we kept our promise. We increased our higher education dormitory bed capacity from 182 thousand to 983 thousand. In health, we introduced our citizens to first-class health services. We have practically revolutionized this field with our city hospitals, the number of which has reached 27," he declared.

Stating that they have changed the face of cities with nation's gardens, Erdoğan emphasized that 323 nation's gardens have been opened to service, and the construction of 239 nation's gardens is ongoing. Stating that they have produced 1 million 766 thousand houses with TOKİ and that the construction of 369 thousand houses is continuing, Erdoğan said, "In the disaster of the century on February 6, we delivered 455 thousand houses and workplaces to our earthquake victims in a record time of 3 years. While earthquake tourists were chasing exploitation and opportunism, we used exactly 91.5 billion dollars of resources to heal the wounds. We are meeting a very important need with our 500 thousand social housing project."

Stating that they produce 83 thousand barrels of oil per day on Mount Gabar, Erdoğan emphasized that thanks to the natural gas discovery in the Black Sea, Turkey's own natural gas is used in millions of homes today. Erdoğan said, "We no longer look with envy at vehicles produced by others, and we all feel proud as we see Turkey's automobile, Togg, on the roads."

"Whatever we committed to, we implemented 90 percent of them"

Touching upon the fact that they have signed a silent revolution not only in investments but also in the field of rights and freedoms, President Erdoğan said, "We said we would lift the state of emergency; we lifted it. We said we would liberalize broadcasts in different languages and dialects; we established TRT Kurdî and liberalized private broadcasts. We said we would pave the way for youth in politics; we lowered the age of eligibility for election from 30 to 25, and then to 18. With the Presidential Government System, we resolved the issue of stability in governance, which was one of our country's most chronic problems. We said we would break the chains struck on the door of Hagia Sophia; we reopened the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, the trust of Fatih, for worship. We have brought many more reforms, services, works, and innovations to our country that we cannot count one by one here. Whatever we committed to the nation in our party's programs and election manifestos, we realized 90 percent of them," he stated.

Saying that they are planning the next 25 and 50 years, President Erdoğan stated that they will continue to turn dreams into goals and goals into reality under the guidance of the 25th Year Vision Document.

"We are here with the pride of growing Turkey in every field"

President Erdoğan stated that they have not walked in a rose garden without thorns since the day the AK Party was founded, and said, "They tried every way to turn us from our path. They wrote coup scenarios. They tried to issue memorandums. They tried to close our party. They made provocations in the Council of State, in Gezi, and with terrorist acts. They attempted a judicial coup on December 17-25. They made a treacherous armed coup attempt on July 15. They came at us with their domestic apparatuses and their masters abroad. Thank God, we repelled them one by one. 25 years later, here we are. We are here, sound and solid, in the presence of the nation. We are here with our excitement from the first day. We are here with our energy from the first day. We are here in the Ankara Nation's Garden with our love from the first day, with our determination from the first day. We are here with the pride of keeping the promises we made to the nation. We are here with the honor of protecting the nation's trust. We are here with the pride of growing Turkey in every field. We are here with the joy of not embarrassing you, not being embarrassed by you, and not wasting your hopes," he included.

"This movement will leave its mark on Turkey's future just as it did on its last 25 years"

President Erdoğan emphasized that they have been in the heart of the nation for 25 years and have achieved great things in a quarter-century, saying, "But it is not over, it will never be over. Let no one expect us to get tired. For 25 years, we started anew every morning. Every morning, we embraced our work as if it were the first day. From now on, every day will be a new day for us. Just as the first morning after we founded our party, the morning of August 15, was, today, tomorrow, every morning will be like the morning of August 15. We are just getting started. This movement, this cadre, their children, and their grandchildren will hopefully carry Turkey first to 2053, and then to 2071. This movement will leave its mark on Turkey's future just as it did on its last 25 years. We have much more work to do. We took Turkey by the hands and stood it up, rebuilt it from its ashes, we stood tall, we achieved great things, but we will not stop, we will not rest, we will not take a break, we will also build and develop the future," he said.

"When we took over the task of governing the country, the virus had spread to the body and had practically paralyzed the system"

Stating that Turkey has had a FETÖ problem that has been growing insidiously since the 1970s, Erdoğan said, "Since the 1970s, no government could stop them. Two coups were carried out in this country in 1980 and 1997; they did not touch FETÖ, on the contrary, they paved the way for it. When we took over the task of governing the country, the virus had spread to the body and had practically paralyzed the system. We walked with patience, we walked with reason, we walked with caution. On that ominous night, in that treacherous coup attempt, God did not give them an opportunity," he spoke.

"Turkey's youth, its accumulation, its morale, and its dreams were fading away every day with terrorism and treacherous terrorist acts"

Saying, "The issue of terrorism has been hurting us since 1984," Erdoğan continued his words as follows:

"Now we walk comfortably in the highlands. Our children were falling to the ground one by one. Turkey's youth, its accumulation, its morale, and its dreams were fading away every day with terrorism and treacherous terrorist acts. What did we say? We said, 'We will solve it.' We said, 'We will save Turkey from this 40-year trouble.' Thank God, we are solving it as the People's Alliance, and we have solved it. We are solving it with the support of our Honorable Parliament and the prayers of our beloved nation. We are solving it with the heroism of our martyrs and the sacrifices of our veterans. We are solving it by acting in unity, heart, and purpose as 86 million. We are solving it by establishing a Turkey consensus where different segments come together. Our greatest capital is our brotherhood. If we protect brotherhood, no one can look at this country with an evil eye. What makes us exist, what has kept us standing tall for a thousand years, and what makes us dominant in this geography is our brotherhood coming from Islam. If the sound of the adhan is silenced in these lands, if the sound of the Quran is muffled in these lands, if, God forbid, Islam weakens in these lands, know that our brotherhood has also weakened. When our brotherhood weakens, our country also weakens. We have been acting with this feeling from the very beginning."

"We are not just ending terrorism, we are also overturning that imperialist plan that stirs up Turkey from within"

Noting that brotherhood will grow Turkey and that this brotherhood will strengthen it again, President Erdoğan said, "Hopefully, brotherhood will make the 21st century the 'Century of Turkey.' Let no one have any worries. Whatever we do, we do it for our country and our nation. Whatever we do, we do it for the safety, prosperity, and bright future of future generations. Whatever we do, we do it to leave our children a Turkey without terrorism, a region without terrorism. Now some are trying to muddy the waters and stir up minds. They want to scare the nation and leave problems unsolved. Why? Because they will be unemployed. When the terrorism parenthesis closes, the swamp they exploit will also dry up, that is what they are afraid of. We are not just ending the terrorism problem. Hopefully, along with terrorism, we are also overturning that imperialist plan that stirs up Turkey from within. Who would be upset by the end of terrorism? Those who have calculations on Turkey will be upset. Those who profit from this wound bleeding for another 40 years will be upset. Those who have been accustomed to designing politics and society through terrorism for years will be upset. Let them be upset. In this country, mothers will no longer cry, youth will not fall to the ground, children will not be orphans, spouses will not be widows, and the country's energy will not be wasted. Turkey is now rising. The dawn of the Century of Turkey is breaking now. Our brotherhood is gaining meaning again, our strength is being added to our strength, history is being rewritten; open the roads, the 'great Republic of Turkey' is coming. Now, tourists from every city in Turkey and from the world will flock to Diyarbakır and Suriçi. Now, it will not smell of gunpowder in the mountains of Tunceli, but of fragrant flowers and grass. Now, dances will be performed in the Cilo mountains. The waters of the Tigris, the Euphrates, and the Munzur will flow clearer and more exuberantly from now on. We will embrace again. We will stand in the same row in the mosques of Mardin for the same prayer. We will listen to the same adhan together in Şanlıurfa. Whatever the language, we will sing the songs of the same feelings together. As 86 million, we will all walk together towards the future with more confident steps in unity, integrity, and brotherhood," he said.

"We will go door to door, no stopping, keep going"

Expressing that the AKP has reached these days by establishing direct contact with the nation, Erdoğan said, "We will continue on this path in the same way. We will go door to door, no stopping, keep going. We will explain what we have done so far and what we will do from now on. This movement, this cause, is not limited to us alone. This movement, this cause, had a past; it will also have a future. This is a long-term march. This is a blessed journey from the past to the future. The important thing is, what did you do for this cause while you were alive? Where did you take the legacy left to you, and where did you carry it? This is our issue. We took over the flag, we planted it on the towers at the summit, and we will hopefully entrust that flag to future generations; they will also carry it with dignity," he spoke.

"If God grants life and health, I will continue to struggle to serve Turkey for many more years"

Erdoğan continued his words as follows:

"As Tayyip Erdoğan, I have left 50 years behind in politics. Our joint work, the AK Party, is leaving a quarter-century behind today. If God grants life and health, I will continue to be in the struggle to serve Turkey for many more years. With the prayers and favor of my beloved nation, I will hopefully continue to work with love for this country. I will continue to be a soldier of the AK Party, which I see as my home and my hearth, and to run in the front ranks for the success of this movement. As long as this soul is in this body, this love of ours will not subside. However, today my heart is at ease, my mind is clear. A very different, completely new generation is coming after us. A generation that knows languages, reads the world well, knows Turkey, understands its ancestors, its history, its legacy, is faithful, patriotic, and most importantly, has high self-confidence is coming. My greatest work has been to build the climate in which this generation will grow up. We are not anxious. We are never pessimistic. I believe that when the time comes, this generation will take over the trust from us and carry it much higher. That is why Turkey's horizon is bright. Thanks to this generation, Turkey will never return to its old dark days. Thanks to this generation, Turkey will not go backward, but always further forward."

After his speech, President Erdoğan pinned the badges of Aydın Deputy Ömer Karakaş and Gaziantep Deputy Mehmet Mustafa Gürban, who resigned from the IYI Party, and İzmir Deputy Mustafa Bilici, who resigned from the Future Party, to the AK Party. Erdoğan also pinned the badges of Ankara's Gölbaşı Mayor Yakup Odabaşı and Kahramankazan Mayor Selim Çırpanoğlu, Tekirdağ's Hayrabolu Mayor Tuncer Başoğlu, Şırnak's İdil Mayor Türkan Kayır, Kütahya's Tavşanlı Mayor Ali Kemal Derin and Domaniç Mayor Engin Uysal, and Çanakkale's Eceabat Mayor Saim Zileli.

News Source: 12punto