President Erdoğan: We recognize no power higher than the will of the people
Casting his vote and holding a press conference on the local election results in Istanbul, President and Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan later on proceeded to Ankara and delivered a balcony speech at the AK Party headquarters.
Expressing his gratitude to each and every one of the Turkish people who since the elections held on November 3, 2002 has made AK Party the first party in all the parliamentary, presidential and local elections as well as in all the referendums, President Erdoğan stated: “Our sole aim throughout our political lives has been to serve our cause and our people. We have recognized no power higher than the will of the people.”
“WE HAVE SOUGHT TO OBTAIN THE CONSENT OF OUR PEOPLE IN EVERY STEP WE HAVE TAKEN”
Highlighting that they see politics as not a tool to belittle the people but as a means to merely provide the country and the people with the best services, President Erdoğan noted that they have so far done this, and will continue to act like this from now on, as well.
Underlining that a politics that lacks people will lead to fascism, dictatorship and oppression in the end, President Erdoğan added: “That is why we have until today sought to obtain the consent and support of our people in every step we have taken. We, together with you, will continue our path in the same vein from now on, too.”
“WE WILL ELEVATE OUR COUNTRY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF CONTEMPORARY CIVILIZATIONS”
Drawing attention to the four-and-a-half-year period ahead without elections, President Erdoğan said they will focus on their works on both national and international terms, and added: “We will, inshallah, elevate our country above the level of contemporary civilizations. We will exert ourselves to make the most of this long period ahead. With whom? With my people, with you. We will strive to resolve our country’s all issues, awaiting to be fixed, with a reformist approach.”
President Erdoğan went on to say: “Our priority in this period ─ which will continue until we achieve our goals for 2023 ─ is to further strengthen our economy, maintain our country’s growth in a technology and export-oriented way and increase employment. Likewise, we are, inshallah, entering a period during which we will achieve success in our works concerning our national security. We have already partially foiled the trap set against our country along our border with Syria. And, our aim is now to make Syria a secure place by eliminating the terror groups in Manbij and the east of the Euphrates, and to enable the refugees in our country to return to their country and their homes.”
