“We continue on our path by tearing up the scenarios against our homeland”
Addressing the 953rd anniversary celebrations of the Victory of Manzikert in the Ahlat district of Bitlis, President Erdoğan said: “We continue on our path by tearing up the scenarios against our homeland. We are not the caretakers but the true owners of these lands.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at the 953rd anniversary celebrations of the Victory of Manzikert in the Ahlat district of Bitlis.
“AHLAT HAS BEEN REBORN FROM ITS ASHES”
Describing Ahlat as a bridge of faith, culture and civilization extending from a thousand years ago to the present day, President Erdoğan said: “Since we took office, we have deemed it a duty of ours to revive Ahlat like a capital city and have always acted with this understanding. We have strived to reunite Ahlat with its roots and make it a center of history, culture and attraction in line with its place in our history. As a result of our efforts, Ahlat, thank Allah, has been reborn from its ashes. Our youths come to these places, get to know their roots, and witness Ahlat’s thousand-year history firsthand, outside of the celebrations as well. Today’s mass-opening ceremony and the cabinet meeting we will hold here this evening show the significance we attach to Ahlat.”
President Erdoğan stated: “The seeds of affection, brotherhood and solidarity sown in Anatolia by our ancestors have taken such strong roots and have flourished so much that no one has been able to destroy or erase this bond of brotherhood. They have worked to divide us through ethnicities and sects. They have attempted to sow discord among us through differences of political views. They have tried to build walls of hatred among us by means of the separatist terrorist organization. Through many other insidious and treacherous plots, they have sought to dynamite our brotherhood and make us an easy prey. With Allah’s help and our beloved nation’s wisdom, we, however, have overcome all of these. We have banded together more tightly than ever. We are doing the same today, as well. We continue on our path by tearing up the scenarios against our homeland. All should know that we are not the caretakers but the true owners of these lands. We are present both beneath and above these lands. Anatolia, in every inch of which a martyr lies, is our own homeland. Those who still cannot digest our presence here, who still chase after pipe dreams will experience a great defeat, a great destruction and a massive loss.”
