President Erdogan: Nothing ends until we say it’s over – Latest Turkey News
President and AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the first AK Party Parliamentary Group Meeting held after the March 31 Local Administration General Elections.
President Erdoğan expressed his satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the local elections, stating, “Thanks to the security measures we took, except for a few unfortunate incidents, thank God, there were no security problems in the elections. Our citizens all over the country went to the polls freely. The attempts of the separatist organization’s supporters to intimidate voters did not succeed. After a high level of competition during the campaign period, the democratic maturity shown by our people on election day is truly commendable. Despite all the campaigns against our country, we successfully passed the democracy test through a ballot box. We showed the world once again that we exist as 85 million together, we are all together Turkey.”
Erdoğan expressed his hopes for the success of the elections and thanked the election boards, law enforcement officials, healthcare workers, and polling station staff who ensured that the elections were carried out in a manner befitting democracy.
“THE PEOPLE’S ALLIANCE EMERGED SUCCESSFULLY FROM THE LATEST ELECTIONS”
President Erdoğan noted that AK Party organizations worked extraordinarily hard during the campaign period and on election day, showing dedication, fighting spirit, and effort.
Stating that AK Party members were side by side with the people during the Ramadan period with iftar programs, home and business meetings, market visits, and going from street to street, neighborhood to neighborhood, village to village, Erdoğan expressed, “During the March 31 election process, we did not leave anyone we could reach, and I extend my most heartfelt thanks to all the units of the Central Administration, our women’s and youth branches, our city, district, and town organizations, municipal mayoral candidates, candidate nominees, neighborhood and village representatives, observers who carefully safeguarded the ballot boxes, and to all my brothers and sisters who provided strong support to our party, our cause, and our struggle. I thank my Lord for giving me such loyal, hardworking, and sincere companions. Our alliance, the People’s Alliance, which we established in the squares against the FETÖ traitors on the night of July 15, also came out successful from the latest elections. Our alliance will continue to be the guarantee of our country’s security, our nation’s unity, and the future of our democracy. Here, I would like to thank the Chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party, Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, and our idealist brothers whom we fought together with, side by side, as part of the People’s Alliance. Our alliance, which successfully passed another election test, will continue to be the guarantee of Turkey’s survival.”
Erdoğan emphasized that the fundamental characteristic of their politics is to preserve and strengthen the sanctity of the ballot, which is the cornerstone of democracy.
“Any election that adds strength to the power of the ballot, regardless of the direction in which the choice comes, is a historical achievement for Turkey and the Turkish nation,” Erdoğan said.
Acknowledging the low voter turnout as a significant feature of these elections, Erdoğan stated that they are focusing on the reasons behind it and believe that other political parties should also reflect on the approximately 7-point decrease in comparison to the 2019 local elections. He emphasized the importance of analyzing the underlying reasons for the decrease in voter turnout and their impact on their party’s votes.
Exemplifying with Hatay as a specific case, Erdoğan stated that Hatay has been the focus of political debates since the February 6 earthquakes and emphasized the resilience and support shown for the People’s Alliance and the AK Party in the region. He praised the people of Hatay for their loyalty and resilience against the attempts to undermine their will.
Erdoğan concluded by stating that they will continue to work tirelessly to address the results of the elections, leveraging the feedback and messages received from the people to chart their future course. They will also continue to support the newly elected mayors and provide assistance in serving their cities.
Following the speech, it was announced that President Erdoğan will meet with Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul on Saturday, April 20. This meeting further underscores the importance of their commitment to the Palestinian cause and their unwavering support for the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people.
