“We continue our efforts to facilitate a return to negotiations”

Addressing AK Party’s parliamentary group meeting, President Erdoğan said: “This war must be stopped before it escalates and completely engulfs the region in fire. If diplomacy is given a chance, this is surely possible. We are patiently continuing our efforts to facilitate a return to the table and to negotiations, and a re-engagement in diplomacy.”

President and Justice and Development (AK) Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the party’s group meeting at the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (GNAT) in Ankara.

“Our region has long been plagued by crises and conflicts. From north to south, new conflicts are added almost daily before the existing ones end. The war launched against our neighbor Iran as a result of the provocations of Israel, has caused severe damage both in our region and to the global economy. While there was the possibility and opportunity to resolve these problems at the negotiating table, miscalculations, misjudgments, and of course, the provocations of a bloodthirsty network have once again caused our region to be enveloped in the smell of blood and gunpowder,” President Erdoğan said.

“On the first day of the attack, tragically, 175 schoolgirls were murdered in a primary school.  The number of people who lost their lives in Iran reached 2000. Meanwhile, high-ranking Iranians, notably religious leader Ali Khamenei, were assassinated. The infrastructure of our neighbor Iran suffered heavy damage. The Iranian people, already struggling under economic sanctions and harsh living conditions, are now fighting for survival amidst daily bombardments. We are saddened to see that an entire population, without distinction between women, children, the elderly, and civilians, is being forced to pay a heavy price due to developments for which they bear no responsibility. We are witnessing the targeting of oil production facilities, water and energy infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure, and the punishment of people,” President Erdoğan said.

“WE HAVE NOT YET LOST HOPE THAT THE GUNS WILL FALL SILENT”

“The attacks on Iran are putting serious pressure on the global economy, primarily by increasing oil prices. Already, not only the countries directly involved in the war, but the entire world is preparing to pay the price of these conflicts. We all see that if this senseless, irregular and unlawful war continues, there will be more loss of life and property, and the cost to the global economy will increase even further. Let me especially underline a point here; as Türkiye, we are not a country that remains indifferent to the crises around us, or that turns its back on its friends and brothers in times of crisis. We are certainly not a country that acts with the mentality of ‘long live the snake that doesn't bite me’. We are not a country that doesn't care. On the contrary, we are a state, a government that takes risks, takes responsibility when necessary to solve crises. Indeed, we had been working for years to prevent the tension from escalating into conflict and to ensure that the issue was resolved through negotiation. Since the day the conflicts began, we have maintained contact with both Iran, the United States, and the relevant regional countries. In this context, I have made over 20 phone calls. Our other colleagues have also been in constant contact with their counterparts,” President Erdoğan said.

“We have not yet lost hope that the guns will fall silent. This war must be stopped before it escalates and completely engulfs the region in fire. If diplomacy is given a chance, this is surely possible. We are patiently continuing our efforts to facilitate a return to the table and to negotiations, and a re-engagement in diplomacy,” President Erdoğan said.

“WE HAVE ONLY ONE RELIGION, AND THAT IS ISLAM”

“Just as we do not discriminate between the people of our entire region, we never have and do not discriminate between our brotherly Iranian people based on whether they are Shia, Sunni, Turk, or Kurd. For us as a nation, there are no Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Shias, or Sunnis; there are only human beings. Whether they are right next to us or on the other side of the world, whoever is wronged, victimized, or suffering, we stand by them. We did this before in our neighbor Iraq. We did this 15 years ago in Somalia, which was struggling with famine. We did this for 13.5 years in our neighbor Syria. We are doing this in the Russia-Ukraine war, which is now in its fifth year. We have done this in Sudan, Lebanon, Yemen, Libya, and many other places, and we continue to do so. We reject racial discrimination, sectarian discrimination, discrimination based on religion, language, or origin. I have said this before, and I reiterate it today; we do not have a religion like Sunni or Shia; we have only one religion, and that is Islam. Regardless of our race, our unifying common ground is Islam; before our sects and origins, we are all human beings and Muslims,” President Erdoğan said.

“In recent days, we have witnessed the incitement to sectarianism on social media and attempts to reinstigate centuries-old disputes. I call upon both our nation and all our brothers and sisters in the region to be vigilant against these dangerous debates, which we see as a front in this conflict. The fact that these contentious issues, whose origins go back 13-14 centuries, are being brought up again today is by no means a coincidence. Whether religious, political, or historical, we must stay away from debates that do not benefit us today, but rather harm our brotherhood by fueling hatred and escalating discord,” President Erdoğan said.

“WE HAVE LIVED TOGETHER FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS”

“Please keep in mind that as Shiites and Sunnis, as Arabs, Turks, Kurds, and Persians, despite all our differences, we have lived together for hundreds of years. Inshallah, after these conflicts and wars end, we will continue to live together in peace, sharing the same geography and the same destiny. As the peoples of the region, we must not allow a conflict that we are already victims of to inflict even greater wounds. We must absolutely not fall for the Zionist network's game of using others’ means to achieve its own ends,” President Erdoğan said.

“While attacks on Iran continue, certain circles, including some former Israeli officials and hired pens acting as paid hitmen, have made various allegations about our country. To these self-proclaimed intellectuals who are compiling lists, I want to state clearly: We know very well the purpose and target of these delirious claims, which are simultaneously disseminated to the international media as if a button has been pressed. We are also fully aware of the true intentions behind the systematically conducted campaigns by anti-Türkiye lobbies. With Allah’s permission, we will absolutely not fall for this trap or this scheme. We will not abandon common sense and composure. Türkiye is not just any country. This nation is not an ordinary nation,” President Erdoğan said.

“TÜRKİYE HAS GROWN STRONGER WITH ITS ‘TERROR-FREE TÜRKİYE’ PROJECT”

“Those who want to understand the character of Türkiye and the Turkish nation should look at Cyprus, look at our War of Independence, look at our victory at Çanakkale. Most recently, on July 15th, we, with the power and determination of the nation, not only humiliated and defeated the traitors within us, but also those who pulled their strings. This nation, as in the past, has the strength, determination, power, and might to break the hand that dares to violate its sanctity, with its steely will and courage, today and tomorrow as well. Moreover, today's Türkiye is very different from yesterday's. Türkiye has consolidated its domestic front. Türkiye has grown stronger with its ‘terror-free Türkiye’ project. The deterrent power of our military has further increased with advancements in our defense industry. Türkiye has outgrown its passive position and has assumed a role as a game-changer and equation-setter in its region. Whoever attempts to harm Türkiye will get burned. Whoever speaks ill of Türkiye will get burned. I say again; we are not seeking adventure, we are absolutely not seeking tension. We are in favor of peace and tranquility prevailing across every inch and corner of our region. We are in favor of the Middle East, weary and exhausted from wars, achieving the lasting peace and stability it longs for as soon as possible. Just as we defended the territorial integrity of Iraq in the past, today we defend the territorial integrity of Iran, Lebanon, and all countries in the region. We have no other goal than justice, peace, and tranquility, both within our country and in the region. We have no designs on the sovereignty or territory of any other country, regardless of who it is. But if anyone has an eye on our land, threatens our sovereignty, or even seeks adventure, we will not hesitate to defy them,” President Erdoğan said.