President Erdoğan spoke at the opening of his Party's 31st Consultation and Evaluation Meeting

 

Addressing AK Party’s 31st Consultation and Assessment Meeting, President Erdoğan, in reference to Israel’s ongoing atrocities in Gaza, said: “Showing the strongest reaction against the massacres taking place in Gaza since October 7, we are the only country that has taken concrete measures against Israel.”

President and Justice and Development (AK) Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech at the party’s 31st Consultation and Assessment Meeting in Ankara.

“WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OPEN TO CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM”

Emphasizing the importance AK Party attaches to consultation in politics, President Erdoğan stated that the party has embraced and institutionalized consultation at every level.

Reminding that AK Party is set to celebrate its 23rd foundation anniversary in a few months, President Erdoğan said: “What has made us keep going and made us more advantageous than our rivals for the past 23 years is undoubtedly the fact that we value common mind and act with common sense. We have brought different views together in the pot of common sense since our establishment. We have always been open to criticism, particularly constructive and guiding criticism. We have utilized the democratic mechanisms within the party in the most effective manner.” 

This year’s consultation and assessment meeting is being held under the theme of “Türkiye’s Common Mind,” pointed out the President, adding that on the agenda of the meeting will be issues that are of critical importance for the future of AK Party.

Stating that the results of the May 14 and 28 elections as well as the Mart 31 election will be analyzed thoroughly during the meeting, President Erdoğan said that the party’s roadmap and the steps to be taken in the upcoming period will be clarified in light of the criticisms and comments the party’s provincial heads have conveyed firsthand during the talks held so far in the provinces and districts across the country.

“THERE WILL BE A DOWNWARD TREND IN INFLATION STARTING FROM THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR”

Drawing attention to the positive developments in economy, President Erdoğan said: “We have a busy agenda in every area, from foreign policy to economy, from the fight against terror to the healing of the wounds of the February 6 earthquakes. In economy, we continue to get favorable data regarding 2024. The Turkish economy has grown by 5.7 percent in the first quarter of the year. Our economy will thus have grown in 15 consecutive quarters since the second quarter of 2020, when the Covid-19 measures were implemented.”

Noting that the share workers receive from the growth has reached an all-time high with the interval raises made in the minimum wage, President Erdoğan stated: “The share workers received from the growth amounted to 42 percent in the first quarter of this year, the highest level since 1998. There will hopefully be a downward trend in inflation starting from the second half of the year. Almost all the recently released figures are in line with the Middle Term Program. The latest regulations have further strengthened our hand in combatting exorbitant price hikes and opportunism that fuel the high cost of life. We are also taking necessary steps regarding other issues that trouble our nation.”

“WE ARE THE COUNTRY THAT SHOWS THE STRONGEST REACTION AGAINST THE MASSACRES IN GAZA”

Referring to Israel’s ongoing atrocities in Gaza, President Erdoğan said: “Showing the strongest reaction against the massacres taking place in Gaza since October 7, we are the only country that has taken concrete measures against Israel.”

Stressing that Türkiye has halted all trade with Israel, President Erdoğan stated: “We have sent more than 55 thousand tons of humanitarian aid to our Gazan brothers and sisters. We firmly stand with the heroic Palestinian people who defend their homeland. We don’t shy away from shouting out the truth despite the colonized minds that seek to slander the Palestinian resistance. We will not give up our dignified, honorable and conscientious stance even if we are left on our own and have to pay a price.”

Offering his gratitude to the political parties at the Turkish parliament, including the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party that give support to the Palestinian cause and the Gazan’s struggle for freedom, President Erdoğan lauded the decision the parliament adopted unanimously the previous day to condemn Israel’s massacres in Rafah. 

Following the speech, President Erdoğan and First Lady Emine Erdoğan visited an exhibition titled “The History of Zionist Massacre and Genocide”.