President Erdoğan: Turkey works to build the best future both for itself and its friends

 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a press conference following the Presidential Cabinet meeting.

Drawing attention to the ongoing search and rescue works which has started following the earthquake in Izmir, President Erdoğan said 107 citizens have thus far been rescued from under the debris, and that the works will continue until the last person under the debris is reached.

The President stressed that the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and all other relevant institutions have mobilized their means to help the citizens affected by the earthquake.

“VACCINE STUDIES CONTINUE AT A FAST PACE BOTH IN OUR COUNTRY AND THE WORLD”

Touching upon the coronavirus pandemic, President Erdoğan pointed out that although the number of the cases in some of the provinces sometimes reach worrisome levels, thanks to Turkey’s strong healthcare infrastructure and the efforts of the healthcare workers no crisis has been faced with on this issue so far.

President Erdoğan stated: “Vaccine studies continue at a fast pace both in our country and the world. We plan to render one or more vaccines developed in foreign countries applicable in our country until the end of this year. We will also put the vaccines which we will have developed ourselves into our citizens’ service as of the next spring.”

“WE EXTEND A HELPING HAND TO ALL THE OPPRESSED AND THE WRONGED”

“As Turkey, we have for long been carrying almost on our own the burden of the humanitarian crises caused by the instabilities that have been occurring for a long time at the heart of our region,” President Erdoğan went on to say, and added: “We, within our means, extend a helping hand to all the oppressed and the wronged in this region of crises stretching from Iraq to Syria and from Libya to the depths of Africa. What is weird is that those who make the greatest fuss during this period are the very ones who plunge our region and the world into blood, flames and sorrow for the sake of their own security and well-being. However, this mentality has over the past 30 years alone caused the death of two million people in Iraq, one million people in Syria, hundreds of thousands of people in Bosnia, and millions of people in different parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America. They see that the order of colonialism and oppression that they have been running for centuries is crumbling. They endeavor to conceal their own problems by targeting Turkey, the friend of the oppressed and the wronged.”

“I SINCERELY CONDEMN THE BLOODY ATTACK IN VIENNA”

Underscoring that the dosage of these attacks and accusations increases as Turkey strengthens its commitment to Islam, President Erdoğan said: “Attacks on Islam have come to such a level that following even the smallest incident, Muslims are accused at once without any investigation. If the suspect in an act of violence is a Muslim, the incident is instantly labelled as a terror attack and the suspect a terrorist. But, if the suspect is someone from another faith, either they say it is a police incident or the case is covered up by questioning the mental condition of the perpetrator. I hereby would like to state that I sincerely condemn the bloody attack which took place last night in the Austrian capital city of Vienna. Attacks like this one can by no means be condoned no matter who the perpetrators are. 

I wish a speedy recovery and offer my condolences to the Austrian people.”

“TURKEY’S DIGNIFIED STANCE IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE” 

President Erdoğan said: “The rate of Muslims in some European countries which previously hosted almost no Muslims in the past has neared 10 percent. In a similar fashion, the spread of Islam to a vast geography extending from Africa to Southeast Asia and America to Australia cannot be stopped. What is more, this development takes place at a time when Muslims are oppressed, ill-treated, sidelined, exploited and when their energy is wasted with internal conflicts. When you add to this trajectory the Turkish state’s over 2200-year-long history and its area of influence, the picture that emerges becomes intolerable for some. One should also definitely not overlook the natural riches and demographic strength, as well as the strategical importance well known since ancient times, of Asia, Africa, the Mediterranean and the contiguous regions. During the current period when the future of the world is considered to be lying once again in this geography, Turkey has been working to build the fairest, most ethical, most conscientious and the best future both for itself and for its friends. The honorable and dignified stance Turkey displays at a time when the pains of political and economic global restructuring are felt is of great importance. Those working to make us pay since we have disrupted their centennial orders are increasingly losing their control with the fear that their ivory towers may collapse on their heads at any moment. Behind every accusation, every threat and every slander targeting our country lies this truth. We shall never avoid this responsibility placed on us by our civilization and history. It is a great honor for our nation to own such a heritage and to further elevate it.”