“We have no tolerance for terrorism within our borders or in our region”
Speaking at a dinner held by the Turkish American National Steering Committee in New York, President Erdoğan said: “We have no tolerance for terrorism within our borders or in our region. Thank Allah, this goal of ours is coming true step by step.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at a dinner held by the Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) in New York.
President Erdoğan expressed his pleasure to see the Turkish community in the U.S. acting in a spirit of unity and solidarity.
“I consider it as an embodiment of the unity of our souls that you have covered miles from all parts of the U.S. to get together with us here today,” President Erdoğan said, congratulating all the NGOs contributing to keeping this spirit of unity constantly alive.
“WE TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS”
Voicing his observation that the Turkish community in the U.S. is getting more and more visible in the country’s social, political, economic and academic life, President Erdoğan stated: “I would like you, particularly our friends present here in this hall, to know that we take pride in your achievements. I congratulate each one of you for your endeavors, perseverance and efforts. As a brother of yours who has come to the U.S. on various occasions, I know, for sure, the fact that you assume crucial roles through the bonds you cultivate between Türkiye and the U.S. as well as through your contributions to the economic and social life in the U.S., your second homeland. You also serve as a bridge in enabling the U.S. people to better understand our culture and the values of our civilization. You already know that we, through our representative missions and other institutions, stand by you in the works you conduct here and endeavor to support you. We will continue to support the Turkish-American community in every field in the future as well.”
Noting that the extensive transformation in the world has ramifications in foreign policy as well, with foreign policy actors being no longer limited solely to states and representatives, President Erdoğan pointed out that diaspora groups are just as effective, too.
“TÜRKİYE-U.S. SOLIDARITY IS MORE CRITICAL AND MORE INDISPENSABLE THAN EVER”
President Erdoğan continued: “As the leading figures of the Turkish diaspora, you all have important responsibilities in this regard. It is very important for the Turkish-American community, with a population nearing half a million, to assume a bigger role in the political arena both at the local and federal levels, and thus to acquire a larger representative capability. In the current atmosphere of polarization in many fields from security to economy to technology, the Türkiye-U.S. solidarity is more critical and more indispensable than ever. We continue our efforts to advance the Turkish-American relations on the basis of alliance and strategic partnership. The cooperation between our countries is deepening and diversifying in many fields such as security, trade, investments, energy and education. During President Trump’s second term in office, our engagements with all levels of the administration and the constructive dialogue between our institutions have begun to gain momentum. As a result of the sincere friendship that we have developed with Mr. Trump over the years, a mutual will has emerged to iron out certain mishaps on our agenda. We are in constant consultation both with him and his team regarding the developments in our region, particularly the Gaza crisis, Russia-Ukraine war, and Syria.”
Drawing attention to Ambassador Barrack’s sincere efforts for and significant contributions to this positive atmosphere, President Erdoğan went on: “We preserve our will to raise our mutual trade volume to $100 billion and expand our mutual investments. We will inshallah get together with him [Mr. Trump] in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. We will have the opportunity to address many critical topics during our visit.”
“THE STRENGTH OF THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN THE UNITED STATES WILL BE A SOURCE OF CONFIDENCE AND COURAGE FOR ALL MUSLIMS AROUND THE WORLD”
President Erdoğan, in his speech, also warned that particularly in the recent period, Islamophobia and cultural racism have reached alarming levels across the globe.
Noting that marginal ideas that can usually exist at the extremes of the political spectrum are now able to reach bigger masses by taking advantage of social media, President Erdoğan said: “We are well aware that these dangerous trends scare our brothers and sisters, who live here and have been integrated with the U.S. It is of crucial importance to us that you can observe your culture, faith and civilizational values without any concern. The U.S. is a country that has been singled out as an example for years in freedom of religion. We hope the U.S. does not experience any deterioration in this feature of its.”
Voicing his confidence in the Muslim community and the Turkish citizens in the U.S., President Erdoğan stated: “I believe that the strength of the Muslim community in the United States will be a source of confidence and courage for all Muslims around the world. I see that the American Muslims, including the Turks, share Islam’s messages of brotherhood, justice, peace and solidarity with the U.S. public in a more effective manner. I expect you to increasingly carry on with these efforts in particular.”
“WE WILL MAINTAIN OUR FIGHT AGAINST FETO WITH THE SAME DETERMINATION AND DILIGENCE”
President Erdoğan described it as a source of pride that the valuable members of the Turkish community show loyalty to their homeland and display perseverance and determination.
Stressing that he is closely following the efforts the Turkish citizens in the U.S. exert in line with the interests of their country, President Erdoğan said: “Primary among them is the fight against the scourge of terror, which has occupied Türkiye’s agenda for decade and cost thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars, targeting our peace and brotherhood. Internal conflicts and disintegration have sped up within the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) with the death of the ringleader in Pennsylvania. The scandals that have come into view have once again exposed the true face of this treacherous structure. FETO will continue to lose strength over time. We, for our part, will maintain our fight against FETO with the same determination and diligence within the boundaries of law and democracy. We have no tolerance for terrorism within our borders or in our region. Thank Allah, this goal of ours is coming true step by step. There are also groups and lobbies in the U.S. carrying out campaigns against Türkiye. These formations do not only get disturbed by the strengthening of the Turkish-American relations but also do not want you to be successful here. We all know who these centers, whose only sustenance is their animosity against Türkiye, are and whose puppets they are.”
President Erdoğan emphasized that campaigns to silence and deter Türkiye and him intensify as Türkiye speaks up for the truth, promotes peace and justice in its region, and defends the oppressed, particularly those in Gaza.
“WE MUST UNITE AROUND OUR SHARED VALUES”
Underscoring that Türkiye will never yield to these campaigns and will never succumb to the pressure, President Erdoğan went on: “Whoever is expecting Tayyip Erdoğan and Türkiye to consent to oppression and stay silent in the face of massacres, they are waiting in vain. No power, no lobby, no disinformation operation can deter us from crying out the truth courageously. As I always say, we bow down only in prayers. Other than this, never do we bend down or bow down. It is an obligation, beyond a necessity, for the Turkish-American community to act in solidarity vis-à-vis such campaigns of attrition. Instead of seeing our differences as a problem, we must unite around our shared values. We shall never let it slip our minds that no weapon can subdue the hearts that beat together. Rest assured that we will stand by you in every step you take in this direction, as we have done so far. May Allah forever safeguard our unity and solidarity.”
