Here are the highlights from Erdoğan's speech: My dear nation, Mr. President, dear members of parliament, I greet you with my most heartfelt feelings, respect and affection on this first day of the 28th Term and 5th Legislative Year of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. I hope that the new legislative year will be beneficial for our country, our nation, our Parliament, our democracy, our heartland and all humanity.
I also convey my heartfelt affection to our citizens abroad, who represent our nation in the best way in different countries of the world and whose success we are proud of. In the first order, I remember with mercy our deputies who have served our nation properly under this great roof and reached the eternal life, especially the 115 members who shouted the will of our nation to the world from Ankara, the heart of independence, with prayers, takbirs, determination and love for independence, following the Friday prayer performed at Hacı Bayram Veli Mosque 106 years ago.
The only Parliament in the world that has been honored with veteran status twice is the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. This Assembly has successfully led and managed the War of Independence against the invaders who tried to put shackles on our nation's feet and ropes around its neck. Even while the gunshots were coming from 80 kilometers away, the Supreme Assembly continued its work and continued to carry the torch handed down by our nation with glory and honor.
Our Gazi Assembly, which defended the nation's trust under the bombs on the night of July 15, passed that heavy test with flying colors along with our nation who resisted the coup in the squares, streets and airports. On this occasion, I would like to thank all our MPs who protected the nation's trust that night, and I pray that God does not oblige this Parliament to fight the same struggle again.
Our Turkish Grand National Assembly is one of the fastest-paced parliaments in the world. In the 4th legislative year, which started on October 1, 2025 and continued until August 10, 2026, our Assembly went through an intense and arduous working period in which important decisions were taken. Vital laws and critical issues that will shape the future of our country, nation and region were discussed both in the General Assembly and in the commissions.
As the ruling party and the People's Alliance, we will continue to act constructively and listen to different ideas and suggestions, as always. It is clear that we must keep the reputation of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, which is the manifestation of the national will, above all else.
As politicians, our first duty is to serve our beloved nation, whose trust we bear. All of us, myself included, are obliged to find solutions to the nation's problems, to cure their troubles, and to open the way and horizons of the country. More than 3.5 years have passed since the February 6 earthquakes. We delivered a total of 455,357 residences and workplaces to our rightful brothers and sisters. We spent 5.4 trillion lira at current prices for the restoration of our earthquake zone.
In terms of economy, we managed to keep Türkiye on the development and growth path despite the wars and crises that broke out one after another in our region. In the first half of 2026, Türkiye grew by 2.5% annually. Our annual national income exceeded 1.7 trillion dollars. Our exports broke a record with 280.3 billion dollars annually in August.
We are successfully overcoming the problem that arises in certain parts of the fund market. We are solving this issue quickly, without compromising anyone's rights, by observing fairness and justice within the framework of capital market rules.
Today, the primary issue that politics needs to find a solution to is the artificial polarization that causes internal bleeding in society. Our nation has always stood together against those who want to use our differences as a means of separation, and has given the necessary response every time. Of course, there will be competition between political parties. However, leading to conflict by fueling polarization and polarization would not be compatible with the reason for the existence of politics.
Neither Türkiye nor the Turkish nation can tolerate losing anymore. No one has the right to make Türkiye and the Turkish nation lose. In Türkiye, the shelf life of front politics based solely on opposition to the government has expired.
