Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended an iftar dinner at the Bestepe Millet Exhibition Hall honoring members of the police, gendarmerie, coast guard and security guards, delivering a wide-ranging speech focused on national unity, counterterrorism efforts and Turkiye’s evolving global role.
Opening his remarks by greeting participants, Erdogan said he was pleased to host Sheyl Mahmud, Secretary-General of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, at the Ramadan table. He also thanked the Interior Ministry, the General Directorate of Security, the Gendarmerie General Command and the Coast Guard Command for bringing security personnel together for the gathering.
Congratulating attendees on the holy month of Ramadan – which he described as ‘a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness and whose end is salvation from hellfire’ – Erdogan commemorated fallen heroes from Malazgirt to the War of Independence, from the Cyprus Peace Operation to the fight against terrorism and the resistance of July 15.
‘I pray that the souls of our martyrs rest in peace and that their place be in paradise,’ he said, also wishing long lives to veterans and expressing gratitude to parents who send their children off to duty with the prayer, ‘May you become either a martyr or a veteran.’
Addressing security personnel serving across the country – from border regions and mountainous terrain to the seas and overseas missions – Erdogan thanked them on behalf of the nation. ‘May God be your helper. I pray that He protects you from every threat and every attack,’ he said.
Quoting the proverb ‘Without unity there can be no solidarity,’ Erdogan stressed that Turkiye’s peace and stability rest on the sacrifices of its security forces. ‘If Turkiye has become an island of peace, security and stability admired in its region and beyond, the lion’s share of this success belongs to you,’ he stated.
He said Turkiye’s law enforcement agencies had endured extraordinarily difficult struggles in recent history, thwarting attacks on the state and safeguarding national independence despite what he described as repeated attempts to damage their reputation.
‘You are the ones who wrote epics in the fight against terrorist organizations without discrimination,’ Erdogan said. ‘You are the ones who give no breathing space to organized crime groups, drug traffickers and those who see themselves above the law.’
He credited security forces with preventing unrest during the 2013 Gezi protests and blocking the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, as well as combating human trafficking networks and rescuing thousands of lives in maritime emergencies. He also praised them for protecting Turkiye’s cultural heritage and aiding victims regardless of identity, belief or nationality.
‘As President of the Republic of Turkiye, I am proud of each and every one of you,’ Erdogan said. ‘Whoever seeks to disturb our nation’s peace, undermine our state’s security or attack our freedoms and democracy will continue to face the full force of the law.’
The president pledged that, as over the past 23 years, his government would continue to provide full support to security units so they can carry out their duties effectively.
Erdogan emphasized that Turkiye has historically refused to live under anyone else’s shadow. ‘The only shadow we recognize is that of our red flag with the crescent and star,’ he said, quoting poet Arif Nihat Asya to underline the emotional and symbolic importance of the national flag.
He said Turkiye carefully calculates every move in a region where new crises and tensions emerge almost daily. ‘Against every calculation, we have our own calculation. We are prepared to break every trap and thwart every conspiracy,’ Erdogan declared, adding that policies are implemented with the experience of 23 years and carefully crafted strategies.
‘Turkiye today is stronger, more vigilant, more capable and more determined than at any point in its recent history,’ he said.
Erdogan noted that Turkiye is consolidating its position as a regional pole in a reshaping global system. He expressed satisfaction that peace and security now prevail across the country.
‘Western Turkiye is as secure as the east; the north is as safe as the south,’ he said. Areas once inaccessible due to terrorism are now open to shepherds and tourists alike, he added, arguing that improved security has fueled investment, employment and economic growth.
Referring to energy exploration in Gabar, Erdogan said that oil and natural gas resources long left untapped are now contributing to national prosperity. As the terrorism threat – which he said cost Turkiye more than $2 trillion over nearly half a century – recedes, all citizens benefit regardless of ethnic or sectarian identity.
‘With God’s blessing, Turkiye is now playing in a different league,’ he said.
Erdogan stressed that the ‘Terror-Free Turkiye’ process is being advanced step by step through coordination between security forces, parliament and the ruling alliance. He expressed confidence that the country would achieve a future in which ‘mothers do not weep and young lives are not cut short.’
The current stage of progress, he said, is the product of the heroism of security forces, the courage of veterans and the sacrifices of martyrs. ‘Heroes exist to keep the homeland alive,’ Erdogan said, adding that the state will continue to stand strong through the strength of its heroes.
Concluding his remarks, Erdogan said Turkiye will reach its goal of a ‘strong and great Turkiye’ envisioned under the ‘Century of Turkiye’ vision. He thanked security personnel for their service and asked attendees to convey his greetings to colleagues on duty.
‘May God be your helper,’ he said.