President Erdoğan: We have taken the pandemic substantially under control thanks to the lockdown measures during Ramadan

 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a press conference following the Presidential Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Complex.  

“WE HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE RARE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD TO CONTINUE GROWING AMID THE PANDEMIC”

Regarding Turkey’s ongoing fight against the pandemic, President Erdoğan said: “It is a prime necessity of the responsibility placed upon us by our nation that we put our people’s health before everything else. We have taken the pandemic substantially under control thanks to the partial and full lockdown measures applied during the month of Ramadan.”

President Erdoğan said: “While fighting the pandemic, we have also worked to ensure there is not even the slightest failure in industrial and agricultural production, logistics and exports just like in healthcare and security services. Therefore, we have been one of the rare countries in the world to continue growing amid the pandemic.”

“OUR OPERATIONS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL WE NEUTRALIZE ALL THE PKK/YPG TERRORISTS HIDING IN IRAQ AND SYRIA”

Touching upon Turkey’s anti-terror operations in Syria and Iraq, President Erdoğan stated: “The terrorist codenamed Sofi Nurettin, the PKK’s ringleader in Syria whose whereabouts was spotted as a result of the efforts the National Intelligence Organization had been exerting for a long time, was neutralized in an operation conducted in the north of Iraq.”

President Erdoğan continued as follows: “This terrorist of Syrian origin, one of the highest-ranking leaders of the PKK, had led the organization’s so-called armed wing for a long time and then taken over its activities inside Syria. This terrorist, the perpetrator of many bloody acts targeting Turkey, was also guilty of many attacks carried out against our soldiers during the operations Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch. This terrorist was also among those who ordered the martyrdom of our 13 innocent people during the Gara Operation. The case of Sofi Nurettin, who was neutralized in a joint operation of the National Intelligence Organization and the Turkish Armed Forces, has once again demonstrated the undeniable fact that the PKK/KCK and the PYD/YPG are the same organization. Our operations will continue until we neutralize all the PKK/YPG ringleaders and terrorists hiding in Iraq and Syria.”

Referring to US President Joe Biden’s recent approval of arms sale to Israel, President Erdoğan said: “You are writing history with your bloody hands in this incident that is a serious disproportionate attack on Gaza, which is leading to the martyrdom of hundreds of thousands of people. You forced us to say this because we cannot stay put anymore regarding these issues, nor will we.”

President Erdoğan went onto say: “The fact that Israel disregarded UN resolutions and continued its attacks in the aftermath of the 1967 war aggravated the pains in the region. Between 1948 and 1967 alone, over 3.5 million Palestinians were displaced from their homelands and made refugees. Even the brutal killing of thousands of defenseless Palestinian civilians at the Sabra and Shatila camps during the 1982 occupation of Lebanon fell short of mobilizing the world to stop Israel. We have always stood by the Palestinian people in the struggle they have been waging by means of civil disobedience acts, named intifada, to defend themselves, their homes and motherland against Israeli attacks, and we will continue to do so.”

“TURKEY FAVORS A TWO-STATE SOLUTION IN PALESTINIAN LANDS”

“Even Israel’s rejection in 2016 of the UNSC resolution stipulating Israel to immediately stop illegal settlements in the Palestinian lands under occupation didn’t lead to the introduction of effective measures against this rogue and terrorist state. On the contrary, this murderous state’s appetite for bloodshed was further whetted by the announcement in 2017 that the US and some other countries following it recognized Al-Quds as Israel’s capital. What is more, due to this illegal step, the provision that East Al-Quds shall be the capital city of the independent Palestinian State, which forms the basis of the 1967 agreement, actually became unenforceable,” the President further stressed.

Those who are now turning a blind eye to the ongoing tragedy in Palestine should never forget that they are in fact sowing the seeds of the calamities that they themselves will experience in the future, the President underlined. “I am hereby calling on Europe, on those referring to us as friends when appropriate, and I am reminding them of one thing: I condemn Austria, which hoisted the Israeli flag over the chancellery. Hoisting the flag of a terrorist state over an official building such as this one is equal to leading a life that is projected by terror. The state of Austria is apparently trying to make Muslims pay the price for the Jews it subjected to genocide.

Stressing that Turkey favors a two-state and fair solution in the Palestinian lands, President Erdoğan noted: “We will continue to make efforts at every platform for the establishment of an independent, sovereign and geographically united State of Palestine within the 1967 borders, with Al-Quds as its capital.”

“EVERYBODY MUST MAKE SACRIFICES FOR LASTING PEACE AND TRANQUILITY IN AL-QUDS”

Pointing out that a separate arrangement is needed for Al-Quds given the current situation, President Erdoğan said that everybody must make sacrifices for lasting peace and tranquility in Al-Quds, which is home to religious symbols that are indispensable for Muslims, Jews and Christians alike.

President Erdoğan stated: “I shared this feeling of mine with Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the Catholic world, in a phone call yesterday. Inspired by the practice that enabled members of all faiths to freely exercise their religions and protect their places of worship in the Ottoman era, we are making the following proposal: The most accurate and coherent way under today’s conditions will be that Al-Quds be governed by a commission that consists of the representatives of the three religions. Otherwise, it seems that it will not be easy to ensure lasting peace in this ancient city.”

“Every attack the Jews, who are under the protection of Israeli security forces, carried out against Al-Aqsa Mosque has the effect of a bomb whose fuse has been lit. History of the world is full of examples bloodshed in streams, enormous conflicts and destructions caused by the bombs fired in Al-Quds. In the current state, the fastest and the most effective way to averting this threat is to introduce a new governing status in Al-Quds, as we have offered,” the President added.

“We call on the United Nations, the United Nations Security Council, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, one of the founding purposes of which is this, and all other international organizations to take immediate and effective action for Al-Quds and the oppressed Palestinians. We hope a significant step will be taken for the solution of the issue at the United Nations General Assembly, set to convene on Thursday with Turkey’s initiative. We attach importance to this meeting, which will be attended also by our Foreign Minister.”

President Erdoğan further stressed that Turkey will provide every kind of political and military support concerning the international steps to be taken for Al-Quds’ liberation and the Palestinian people’s protection from attacks.