Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered a historic speech from Ankara, expressing gratitude to his fellow countrymen for their faith in his leadership.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in an address to the nation following the preliminary results of the 2023 presidential elections, hailed his victory as a triumph of democracy.
Speaking before thousands of people who had gathered in the courtyard of the presidential complex in Ankara, President Erdogan emphasised unity, declaring that the true winners of Sunday’s run-off polls were 85 million Turkish citizens and the Turkish democracy.
“We are not the only winners. Türkiye is the winner, our democracy is the winner,” Erdogan said.
“No one has lost today. All 85 million have won. Now is the time to unite around our national goals and national dreams.”
Erdogan’s re-election was confirmed by the chairman of the country’s Supreme Election Council (YSK) on Sunday evening.
Speaking to reporters in Ankara, YSK head Ahmet Yener said Erdogan won Türkiye’s presidency over opposition challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the second-round runoff vote.
According to unofficial results, the Turkish incumbent won the race with 52.14 percent, while Kilicdaroglu got 47.86 percent of the votes, he said, adding that 99.43 percent of the ballot boxes have been opened so far.
‘Century of Türkiye’
“In one of the most important elections of our multi-party political history, our nation made its decision in favour of the ‘Century of Türkiye’,” Erdogan said.
He also told his supporters that the election was Türkiye’s “most important” in the modern era.
“We have to work day and night for our people,” Erdogan said.
Healing wounds of the February 6 earthquakes and rebuilding the destroyed cities will continue to be the government’s top priority, he said.
Erdogan said Turkish nation has power and strength and it will earn its rightful place in the global order.
He also reminded people that the following day, May 29, coincides with the anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul by Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II in 1453.
“The conquest of Istanbul, which we will commemorate tomorrow on its 570th anniversary, marked the beginning of a new era while bringing an end to an old era,” Erdogan said.
“Hopefully, just like this pivotal moment in history, the Century of Türkiye that we see these elections as the gateway to will also leave its mark.”
Erdogan also criticised the Western media for their malicious propaganda against his reelection bid.
“Western media has lost,” he said, adding that they published covers to “destroy” him.
Return of Syrian refugees
On the voluntary return of Syrian refugees, Erdogan said: “So far, we have facilitated the voluntary return of nearly 600,000 people to safe areas on Syrian territory.
“Through a new resettlement project we are carrying out with Qatar, we will ensure the return of 1 million more people in a few years.”
More than 3.7 million Syrians currently reside in Türkiye.
Following the start of a civil war in Syria in 2011, Türkiye adopted an “open-door” policy for Syrians fleeing persecution and brutality.
Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN estimates.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt have discussed the possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region.
This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in his televised statement after the conclusion of the quadrilateral meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, held in Islamabad today.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the Foreign Ministers expressed concern that the ongoing conflict is extremely unfortunate for its devastating impact on lives and livelihoods across the wider region.
He said they agreed that this war is not in favour of anyone and would only lead to death and destruction. The unity of Muslim Ummah in these challenging times is of utmost importance.
Ishaq Dar said the Foreign Ministers reaffirmed unity to contain the situation, reduce the risk of military escalation and create conditions for structured negotiations between relevant parties. He said the Foreign Ministers held a very detailed and in-depth discussion on the current regional situation.
The Deputy Prime Minister briefed the visiting Foreign Ministers on the prospects of potential US-Iran talks in Islamabad. The visiting Foreign Ministers expressed their full support to the initiative.
He said the Foreign Ministers advocated dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable pathway to prevent conflicts and to promote regional peace and harmony.
Ishaq Dar said the Foreign Ministers called for upholding principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the Foreign Ministers also discussed ways and means to further strengthen mutual cooperation among the four brotherly countries. In this regard, we decided to constitute a Committee of four senior officials from the respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs to work out the modalities through mutual understanding and consensus.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister expressed his profound gratitude to the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, for their support to Pakistan’s efforts for peace in the region.
He said, under the leadership of the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan has maintained regular engagement with its regional and international partners. Pakistan has remained actively involved in all efforts and initiatives aimed at bringing this conflict to an end.
The Deputy Prime Minister said Pakistan also has a very important relationship with the United States. He said Pakistan remained actively engaged with the US leadership as well, as part of our efforts to de-escalate the situation and finding a peaceful resolution of the conflict. In this context, the Deputy Prime Minister said Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed their confidence in Pakistan to facilitate the talks.
The Deputy Prime Minister said Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in coming days, for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict.
Ishaq Dar said he had a detailed telephonic conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and China fully supports Pakistan’s initiative to host Iran-US talks.
He also mentioned his telephonic conversation with the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres saying that the UN Secretary General has expressed his full support for the peace initiative by Pakistan.
Ishaq Dar said his counterparts from different countries around the world have all extended their full support and confidence in our efforts. He said Pakistan will continue its efforts with sincerity and commitment.
Ishaq Dar said Pakistan will require prayers and support of the entire international community for the success of its endeavours to achieve peace and bring a permanent end to this war.
Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko will arrive in Islamabad for three day official visit today.
This visit is expected to mark a pivotal moment in the growing diplomatic and parliamentary ties between the two nations.
During her stay, Valentina Matvienko is scheduled to meet with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif besides addressing a special session of the Senate tomorrow.
This visit, featuring significant discussions and strategic engagements, underscores the commitment of both nations to fostering stronger relations.
