President Erdoğan: All who will confront us on land, at sea and in the air must have seen Turkey’s determination on defending its rights
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at the graduation ceremony of the National Defense University.
“EACH OBSTACLE WE HAVE OVERCOME HAS FURTHER STRENGTHENED OUR SELF-CONFIDENCE”
Underscoring that all the attacks Turkey has undergone have further consolidated its determination for struggling, President Erdoğan said: “Each obstacle we have overcome has further strengthened our self-confidence. The position we have attained with Allah’s help and our nation’s support has ensured us to look to our future with more confidence. From now on, we, with a stronger voice, a more sincere belief and more self-confidence than yesterday, say ‘Bring it on!’ to our enemies. All who will confront us on land, at sea and in the air must have seen Turkey’s determination on defending its rights, interests and means whose legitimacy is provided by the international law. Rest assured that those who cannot see it will face this truth on the ground, at diplomacy table and on international platforms. We never run away from a fight. We never hesitate to lose martyrs and veterans in this struggle.”
President Erdoğan continued as follows: “I wonder if those who stand against us in the Mediterranean and its vicinity can afford the same sacrifices? Does the Greek people accept the things they will face because of their overambitious and incompetent leaders? Is the French people aware of the prices they will pay because of their overambitious and incompetent leaders? Do the brotherly peoples of some countries in the North Africa and the Gulf consent to their futures darkening because of their overambitious and incompetent leaders? Are the citizens of the countries, which have designs on Turkey’s democracy, rights and regional interest from thousands of kilometers away, aware of the loss this process will cause to them?”
“OUR UNDERSTANDING OF CONQUEST IS THE CONQUEST OF HEARTS”
Stating that Turkey has never been an aggressive country throughout its history, President Erdoğan pointed out that the Turkish nation is one of the rare peoples that have no stain of colonialism in their past.
Further noting that the Turkish civilization is a civilization of conquest, President Erdoğan went on to say: “Our understanding of conquest is primarily the conquest of hearts. Our understanding of conquest is developing all the places we set our feet in. Our understanding of conquest is helping everyone in the homeland live, regardless of their faith, origin or disposition. With this understanding we inherited from our ancestors, we work to win hearts, help everyone live, ameliorate and leave works at everywhere our hands reach out to and our feet stepped in. We go everywhere we have a political and military presence to share what we have and win together if possible, not to loot, steal or levy a tribute upon. This honorable stance of Turkey’s is foiling century-old plans.”
