President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered his "Address to the Nation" speech following the Cabinet Meeting. In his speech, Erdoğan said, "Yusuf Has Hacip, one of the pioneers of our world of science, thought, and heart, made the following observation a thousand years ago in Kutadgu Bilig: 'Good is like climbing a hill; it is difficult. Bad is like descending; it is easily achieved.'" Despite the passage of nearly ten centuries, these observations remain as valid as if they were uttered today. Pursuing what is good, what is right, what is beneficial, and what is beneficial is not easy; just like climbing a hill, it is difficult and arduous; it requires patience, willpower, and effort. Goodness is serving the nation. Goodness is elevating Türkiye's glory. Goodness is extending a helping hand to the oppressed and the afflicted. We aspire to good; we aspire to the difficult. We aspire to walk until our last breath on the path we know to be right. As another sultan of our hearts, Yunus Emre, said, "The path is the one that leads to truth, the eye is the one that sees God. The man is the one who stands low, not the eye that looks from above." Yes, without looking down on anyone, without arrogance, without pride, we are working day and night in the service of our noble nation."
Erdoğan emphasized that their will to find solutions to the nation's problems remains as vibrant as the first day, saying, "Of course, there are shortcomings, things we want to do but can't do due to reasons beyond our control. But all 86 million people know our efforts and sincerity very well. I would like to reiterate this truth today: Our will to find solutions to our nation's problems and difficulties is as vibrant, alive, and strong as the first day. We are engaged in a multifaceted effort to enhance Türkiye's prestige, to grow Türkiye with brotherhood, to reach the Turkish Century with ease, and to free our country from the half-century-old shackles of separatist terrorism."
"If it is necessary to take risks, we do so; if it is necessary to fight, we do so; if it is necessary to use force, we do so; if it is necessary to talk and discuss, we do so without hesitation," said Erdoğan, adding:
My nation should know that we never pursue political prosperity. We seek to guarantee the future of our nation and our country. With our process for a terror-free Turkey, we seek to leave our children a country where they can live happily, prosperously, and peacefully. Our concern is the nation, and our love is Turkey. Whatever we do, we do it for the unity, peace, and tranquility of 86 million. Whatever we do, we do it to make Türkiye victorious and successful.
Recalling that they have participated in numerous programs, events, meetings, and summits both domestically and internationally since the last Cabinet meeting, Erdoğan said, "On July 1st, we held the 172nd Expanded Provincial Chairmen's Meeting. That same day, we hosted Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan in the Russian Federation, at our party headquarters. The next day, we met with our women on the occasion of the AK Party Women's Branch Leadership Academy. That same day, we had a very productive meeting with the Speaker of the Iraqi House of Representatives, Mahmoud Meshhadani, and his delegation. On July 4th, we were in Khankendi to attend the 17th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization. Karabakh, liberated after 30 years of occupation, is rapidly healing its wounds under the leadership of my brother, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev."
President Erdoğan, noting the special significance of the participation of Ersin Tatar, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), at the summit, said, "I would like to thank my brother İlham once again for his warm hospitality. On Tuesday, July 8th, there was a ceremony for presenting the ambassadors' credentials. The following day, we held our party's final group meeting and shared our assessments of the current agenda. Over the weekend, we were in Kızılcahamam for our 32nd Consultation and Assessment meeting. We held two days of important consultations with the broadest staff of our party."
"We have thoroughly evaluated the most critical issues of our country, especially the 'Terror-Free Turkey' process. We have laid out the roadmap for the new era. In our speech, we also outlined the historical, political, and intellectual framework of the new era. Of course, some people were disturbed by this," said Erdoğan, adding, "Our messages, especially those aimed at the Turkish-Kurdish-Arab alliance, have seriously unsettled those who feed on blood and conflict abroad, and the current representatives of single-party fascism at home. They came out and accused us of 'Islamism' as if it were a crime, a misdemeanor. They tried to spread fear by saying 'the Republic is under threat.' We have heard such ridiculous arguments, such absurd claims for the last five days that even the word 'ignorance' is inadequate to describe all this nonsense. They are not aware of the concept of nation or the concept of ummah. They are so ignorant that they see the two as opposites. They believe that it is possible to defend the universal brotherhood of Muslims while defending the unity and solidarity of the Turkish nation, and that it is even a duty for us to do so." "They are so ignorant that they cannot understand what is happening; they are disconnected from the nation and its world of faith," he said.
"No one has the right to toy with our children's feelings."
Stating that they saw signs of this intolerance not only in the reactions to the Kızılcahamam speeches but also in the LGS debate, Erdoğan said:
"For days, they left no stone unturned regarding the number of students who passed the exam. Here, the debate immediately devolved into hostility towards Imam Hatip schools. I'm an Imam Hatip school, but they've gone so far as to say, they distorted a congratulatory banner hung by an Imam Hatip middle school in Bursa, unfortunately targeting our bright children. Despite our Ministry transparently sharing the necessary information, they exploited the pure, naive, and innocent feelings of our 13- and 14-year-old children."
President Erdoğan, emphasizing that ensuring the highest level of security in all exams is essential, said, "We will never allow the efforts and hopes of any of our children to be wasted. We have always been careful and meticulous in this regard, and have maintained an uncompromising stance. Turkey is a country that stands out in terms of exam security. Thankfully, we conduct the exams taken by millions of our children, young people, and citizens every year without encountering any problems. Nevertheless, the mindset that engages in politics by manipulating the emotions of middle school students is a helpless, malicious, politically bankrupt, and corrupt mindset. The harbor of politics is morality and conscience. Politics also has its reputation, principles, and boundaries that must be observed. Respecting these is the duty of all of us, regardless of whether we are in power or in opposition. No one has the right to toy with the feelings of our children. No one has, and cannot have, the right to toy with the feelings of parents who make every sacrifice for their children's education."
President Erdoğan emphasized that politics should not be conducted on hearsay, gossip, or speculation, saying, "This is absolutely not the case on such a sensitive issue. To those who have been provoking our children for days, I say only this: Leave the children of this country, whose hearts and minds are pure, alone. Since you are of no use to the country, at least do not harm Türkiye; do not spread disinformation; do not undermine trust in the political institution. I kiss the eyes of all our children who took the LGS exam, regardless of their score; I wish each of them success from God. My dear children, remember, we trust you; we love you. You, along with your parents, are the hope of our nation. You are the guarantee of our bright future and the architects of our future. Each of you will, God willing, achieve great things in the future; with your successes, you will be a source of pride for both us and your families. May God protect you and clear your path and your fortune."
“Based on the truth that ‘Water sleeps, FETÖ does not sleep,’ our fight against the organization continues with determination.”
President Erdoğan said, “Tuesday marked the 9th anniversary of a magnificent uprising that was written in golden letters in our history. We, as 86 million people, proudly commemorated the epic of national will on July 15th when we defeated the FETÖ traitors. On July 15th Democracy and National Unity Day, we once again commemorated with mercy the 253 heroes who fell that night. We expressed our gratitude to our 2,740 brothers who were honored with veteran status. May Allah be pleased with them all. I pray for mercy for all our heroes who were martyred while defending our homeland, our flag, and our future, along with the martyrs of July 15th. We will always remember with gratitude the brave men who said, ‘A man dies once. He dies like a man,’ and who defied the coup plotters by saying, ‘If we are to die, let us die like a man for our country and our nation.’ "We will never forgive those who called July 15th a 'game,' 'theater,' or sling mud at us by calling it a 'fixed fight,' and we will always remember with regret. Based on the principle that 'Water sleeps, but FETÖ does not,' our fight against the organization continues with determination," he said.
Erdoğan stated that to date, a total of 155 thousand people have been dismissed from public service, including 30 percent of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 24 percent of the Ministry of National Defense, and 18 percent of the Ministry of National Education, and that 28 thousand of them have been reinstated. He said, "Verdicts have been issued in all 289 actual coup cases. In these cases, 1,634 people received aggravated life sentences, 1,366 people received life sentences, and 1,891 people received fixed-term prison sentences. Currently, there are around 11 thousand members of the organization in penal institutions. Our operations targeting the organization's finance, trade, recruitment, bureaucracy, and especially its secret structure are continuing. FETÖ has grown under the protection of foreign powers since its establishment. Coups and anti-democratic interventions have paved the way for FETÖ. Especially the 1980 coup and the February 28 intervention strengthened FETÖ; the organization continued to infiltrate the state asymmetrically after these two coups. It has begun. While the tutelage centers were practically wreaking havoc on organic structures with their phobia of "reactionaryism," they supported, protected, and turned a blind eye to FETÖ's flourishing. When we look at both the actors in the 17-25 coup attempts and the ringleaders of the July 15 treason, we can clearly see this. It's quite clear that this did not happen naturally. FETÖ is also behind practices such as the closure of imam-hatip schools, the headscarf ban in universities, and the oppression of coefficients; they are intent on creating space for FETÖ. While the space of traditional religious institutions, which have been the guardians of our citadel of faith for centuries, has been narrowed, the organization's maneuverability has been expanded as much as possible.
Erdoğan stated that the coups FETÖ attempted during the MIT crisis, on December 17-25, and on July 15 are gaining greater significance in light of current events, and that the traitors' true aims have become more apparent. He stated, "Without fully understanding this truth, it cannot be understood that FETÖ is a 'Trojan horse' planted among us, filled with spies. The July 15th saga not only snatched away our national will and democracy, but also broke the arms and legs of this Trojan horse. Global imperialism lost its most loyal ally in Turkey on July 15th. The struggle is not over yet. We will continue our struggle with determination, patience, and meticulous attention to distinguishing between the guilty and the innocent until the organization is eradicated, God willing."
"The biggest problem in our region is Israel's aggression."
President Erdoğan stated that Israel is doing everything in its power to drown the region in bloodshed, chaos, and turmoil, stating that it has martyred 58,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7, 2023, while the number of injured has exceeded 138,000. Recalling that Israel has attacked Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran along with Palestine, President Erdoğan stated that it has also massacred innocents and bombed civilian settlements there. President Erdoğan, stating that Israel, using the Druze as an excuse, has expanded its banditry to Syria over the past two days, said, "I want to state this once again, clearly and unequivocally: Israel is a lawless, unruly, unprincipled, spoiled, pampered, and furious terrorist state. At this stage, the biggest problem in our region is Israel's aggression. This pain, this brutality, this genocide, this aggression inflicted upon the entire region will never be forgotten; it will leave deep scars on consciences. If this monster is not stopped immediately, it will not hesitate to throw first our region, then the world, into flames. We see this; we have been boldly voicing this truth at the highest volume for two years. Not only that, we are taking the necessary precautions against every scenario."
"We did not consent to the division of Syria yesterday, and we certainly will not consent to it today or tomorrow."
Underlining that protecting Syria's territorial integrity, national unity, unitary structure and multicultural identity is Turkey's fundamental policy, President Erdoğan said, "We did not consent to the division of Syria yesterday, and we certainly will not consent to it today or tomorrow. Those who dream of opening a corridor between the south and north of Syria will not achieve their goals, God willing. We, together with our Syrian brothers and sisters, will not allow this. Those who descended into the well with Israel's rope will understand, sooner or later, that they made a grave mistake in calculation. I also want it to be known that: Just like our Kurdish citizens within our borders, the Kurds in Syria are our true brothers and sisters; they are a part of our very soul. In the name of God, we will not allow them to become an appetizer at the table of Zionism. The peaceful living of all segments of the Syrian people, whether Arabs, Turkmens, Kurds, Christians, Sunnis, Nusayris or Druze, is our greatest priority. "This is our desire. The path to Syria's well-being lies through this. A stable Syria will also create stability for all the countries surrounding it. Otherwise, God forbid, everyone will bear the brunt of this. I hereby convey my most sincere messages of solidarity to the Syrian government and people. I wholeheartedly believe that my dear brother, President Ahmed Shara, will overcome all these difficulties with his prudent, astute, comprehensive, and strong leadership," he said.
President Erdoğan stated that he had a phone conversation with Syrian leader Ahmed Shara today and that they discussed the situation on the ground and what could be done to stop the bloodshed. Erdoğan said, “Our relevant ministries and security units are in contact with their Syrian counterparts. We are and will continue to follow all developments in Syria, especially in Suveyda, on a daily basis. The ceasefire, which was achieved yesterday with the contributions of our country, was sabotaged today by the massacres targeting civilians by armed militants incited by Israel. Israel has demonstrated once again that it does not want peace, tranquility, or stability in either Gaza or Syria. I pray to God for mercy for our Syrian brothers and sisters who were despicably martyred in Israeli attacks and the massacres of separatist militias. As Turkey, we will continue to stand by Syria and support our Syrian brothers and sisters in the future, as we have in the past. Those who seek a secure future for themselves through oppression and massacre should never forget this: They are travelers, we are innkeepers. We are homeowners on these lands. We have lived in this region for a thousand years. Our footprints are on every inch of its land, and the blessed blood of our martyrs is there. Many oppressors have come here for a thousand years, thinking they were untouchable; now, only winds blow in their places.” "Whoever set their sights on our sacred sanctuary has lost all hope. Instead of becoming arrogant in their oppression, today's oppressors should look to the fate of yesterday's oppressors and learn from them. I repeat: with our honorable foreign policy, our peace efforts, and our diplomatic contacts, we stand on the side of peace and tranquility," he said.
"We bear no hostility towards anyone; we do not look askance at anyone; we do not approach anyone with hostility; we do not encroach on anyone's rights,
laws, or sovereignty," said Erdoğan, continuing: "We only want peace, tranquility, and stability in our region. We have done whatever is necessary for this, and we will continue to do so. In foreign policy, we will continue to observe humanity, conscience, rights, and the law of neighborliness and brotherhood, as much as we observe our own interests."
"We aim to increase our trade with the United Arab Emirates to $20 billion this year and, God willing, to $40 billion in the medium term."
Erdoğan, noting that they hosted United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan yesterday and held comprehensive talks with him, first bilaterally and then with the participation of delegations, said, "We chaired the first meeting of the High-Level Strategic Council. We crowned this important visit with the signing of seven agreements. We aim to increase our trade with the United Arab Emirates to $20 billion this year and, God willing, to $40 billion in the medium term. We will further strengthen our relations with our brothers in the Gulf in the coming period."
“With the regulation to be published this evening, civil servants will be able to work part-time from birth until they start primary school age.”
Stating that they evaluated the latest stage of the ‘Terror-Free Turkey’ process and current developments in the region during today’s cabinet meeting, President Erdoğan underlined that they are taking steps to support the institution of the family this year as part of the Year of the Family. Announcing the good news that they have implemented the right to work part-time after birth or adoption granted to male and female civil servants, Erdoğan said, “With the regulation to be published this evening, civil servants will be able to work part-time from birth until they start primary school age. This arrangement, based on the principle of a 20-hour work week, will allow parents to spend more time on their children’s development and will directly contribute to strengthening family ties.”
"We will provide financial support of up to 240 million lira for each identified investment."
Noting that they continue to support technology-focused projects that create production, exports, employment, and added value in the economy, Erdoğan said, "We announced our new incentive system at the end of May, in line with our country's strategic priorities and global developments. With the Local Development Incentive Program, we aim to bring idle resources to production and increase regional competitiveness. Taking numerous criteria into consideration, we identified a total of 324 investment areas, four for each province. We have decided to provide specific and qualified support for these specific investments. Our Ministry of Industry will make the first call for the incentive program today. We will provide financial support of up to 240 million lira for each identified investment. I hope this good news will be auspicious for the business world."
"We are gradually hiring a total of 20,000 new personnel in the positions of court clerk, support personnel, correctional officers, and other positions."
Erdoğan, noting that a major breakthrough has been made in the energy sector in recent years, continued:
"In 2020, we made the largest natural gas discovery in our history in the Black Sea. We completed the first phase with a daily production of 9.5 million cubic meters from 12 wells in the Sakarya Gas Field. Currently, 4 million households use our domestic gas. Our daily oil production, both domestically and internationally, has reached 170,000 barrels. We continue to invest in strengthening our fleet. We are increasing the number of deep-sea drilling vessels from four to six. With the addition of our new vessels, we will, God willing, rank fourth in the world in terms of deep-sea fleet. We will continue to work and add new investments until we achieve our goal of a 'fully independent Turkey in energy.' Finally, we are taking an additional step to make justice services faster, more effective, and more accessible." We are gradually hiring a total of 20,000 new personnel in the following roles: clerks, support staff, correctional officers, and other positions. I wish success to each and every brother who will join the Justice family.
