Statements from President Erdoğan

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a statement at the commemoration ceremony held at the Atatürk Supreme Institution of Culture, Language and History.

Highlights from President Erdoğan's speech are as follows: "My dear nation, valued members of the Atatürk Culture, Language and History Institution, I greet you with respect. We commemorate Atatürk, the founder of our Republic, with mercy. Protecting the Republic is possible by strengthening the memory of the nation, which is its essential and founding element. I would like to wholeheartedly thank our institutions that serve our Turkish language and history with dedication.

"ATATURK IGNITED THE TORCH OF INDEPENDENCE"

The period of national struggle is one of the turning points in our history. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ignited the torch of independence in Anatolia in the days when the Izmir Pier was dirty with enemy boots. The road to liberation was opened with the spirit of independence that rejected slavery.

Those who exploit Gazi's legacy have looked down on this nation for decades. They created a wedge between the people and the Republic through the image of 'Mustafa Kemal' they created in their minds. We tried to close this wound opened by those who inherited rejection, by protecting both the achievements of the Republic and our thousands of years of history. We reunited the Republic, which Gazi Mustafa Kemal described as the one of the orphans, with the people.

"WE ARE FURTHER TIGHTENING OUR DOMESTIC FRONT"

Just as we defeated those who shrouded us, today we are building our future with the same determination. We are further fortifying our internal front, which is our strongest castle where we take shelter against internal and external attacks, with new moves.

We are taking firm steps towards our goals of the Türkiye Century, in which we will raise Türkiye above the level of contemporary civilizations. We strengthen peace, security and stability not only within our borders but also beyond our borders.

STATEMENT OF TERRORISM-FREE Türkiye

We have made significant progress towards completely resolving the terrorism issue, which has been shackling Türkiye for nearly half a century.

We hope to provide one of our greatest services to our country by bringing the civil constitution, which has become a means of proving the maturity of Turkish democracy, to our nation.