Yılmaz met with the members of the organization at the AK Party Tuzla District Headquarters within the scope of "Türkiye Century Meetings".
Stating that Türkiye has experienced great change and transformation in the last quarter century, Yılmaz said, "Today, Turkey is in a different league in the economy. We are the 11th largest economy in the world in terms of volume and purchasing power. When you look at it in nominal dollars, we have become the 16th largest economy. While we had an economic size of 238 billion dollars in 2002, we will be an economy of 1.8 trillion dollars by the end of this year." he said.
Yılmaz stated that there have been important transformations in the field of social policies apart from the economy, and explained some developments in this field.
Explaining that investments in education and health are the main areas of social development, Yılmaz stated that in the last PISA test, Türkiye was the only country among OECD countries that could significantly increase its scores in three areas.
"Many people from around the world come to Türkiye to receive health services"
Referring to the transformation in the field of health, Yılmaz said, "We now have a health army approaching 1.5 million. The number of our health doctors, health personnel and qualified beds has increased incomparably with the previous ones. We have 27 city hospitals, 13 of which are currently under construction. There will be 40 soon. Many people from around the world come to Türkiye to receive health services. There is something we call health tourism." he said.
Explaining that social support was provided to citizens who did not have the means, Yılmaz stated that the last quarter century was a period of serious social restoration.
Yılmaz stated that the third biggest area of transformation is democracy and law, and noted that the tutelage structure in Türkiye was liquidated during the AK Party period.
Stating that this situation was confirmed with the repelling of the July 15 coup attempt and the reforms made afterwards, Yılmaz said:
"Today, Turkey is a normal democratic country, not a tutelary democratic structure. This is a huge achievement, and in this process, bans have been lifted, meaningless taboos have been lifted. An environment has been created where people can speak their native language freely and express their beliefs and identities freely. Identities should not be tools of politics, they should not be abused, but people should live their identities freely to the fullest. Great reforms have been made in this direction. In the past, there were groups that feared 'If you do these things, the country will fall apart, democracy will disappear'. Look, nothing happened, on the contrary, it got worse. Our country has become stronger."
Stating that the developments in the fields of economy, social development, democracy and law have taken Türkiye to a different level in the international arena, Yılmaz said that the country has become an important power in its region and an actor affecting the processes at the global level.
"There is a dark mentality that says 'If I'm strong, I can do anything'"
Referring to the events in Gaza and the wars in the region, Yılmaz continued his words as follows:
"There is a dark mentality that says 'If I am strong, I can do anything'. It says 'If I am strong, I am right and I can do whatever I wish'. Of course we reject this. On the other hand, we are aware of this. We are not in a period where we can trust anyone's mercy. We have to be strong. As Turkey, we will be both strong and right. We are trying to do both at the same time. You see, a country or countries that are very advanced in science and technology, massacres that do not meet any criteria of humanity, "They can commit atrocities. Gaza is the best example of this."
Referring to Türkiye's approach in the international arena, Yılmaz said, "The world is bigger than 5." He noted that his understanding expresses the search for a more just world.
Drawing attention to the developments in the defense industry, Yılmaz described Türkiye's transformation in this field as a "revolution".
Vice President Yılmaz said, "Last year, Turkey exported more than 10 billion dollars in the defense industry. We began to sell products that we could not buy with our money in the past to many countries for money. This did not happen spontaneously, it happened with the will of our President. Other countries also took action, but we have the advantage of setting off early." he said.
Stating that the breakthrough in the defense industry should be continued in areas such as health industries, energy equipment and artificial intelligence, Yılmaz said that they aim to further advance Türkiye's technological level and increase its deterrent power.
Stating that Türkiye will continue its path as a country that works for peace, brings countries together and produces solutions through diplomacy, while improving its defense capacity, Yılmaz noted that Türkiye is a country that produces stability in the face of developments in its environment.
Stating that the "Türkiye Century" will be built on the knowledge accumulated in the fields of economy, social development, democracy and law in the last 25 years, Yılmaz stated that this process will be continued with new policies and strategies.
At the end of his speech, Yılmaz took a souvenir photo with the party members.
Tuzla Mayor Eren Ali Bingöl, AK Party Tuzla District Chairman Şeref Çolak, MPs, council members and party members attended the meeting.
After the program, Yılmaz visited a tea house and greeted the citizens.
Then, Yılmaz chatted with the students studying in the library at the entrance of Tuzla Municipality, and then went to the presidential office and received information about the work in the district from Mayor Eren Ali Bingöl.
