Erdogan: Turkey, glorious and honourable, sails towards its second century

(Patria) - The Republic, which we proclaimed on 29 October 1923, has completed its first century and set sail into the second, which we call the "Century of Turkiye", said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkiye.

I hope that the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic, which we celebrate with glory, honour and joy, will be good for our country and our people", Erdogan said.

As he stated, the Republic of Turkiye, which celebrates its centenary today, continues to shine with its splendour, like a mighty plane tree with deep roots.

Erdogan said that the Republic of Turkiye today, just as its founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk wished, serves as a guardian of the abandoned in its region and the world.

He said that the Republic of Turkiye is not the first but the last Turkish state.

The Turkish president said that his nation has a deeply rooted history with many states stretching from Asia to Europe.

"Our Republic, which is a new link in our thousand-year state tradition, is not the first but the last state we established in these lands. In the glorious history of our nation, we have many states that shaped the world, led humanity and moved civilisations. We see the turning points of our journey stretching from Asia to Europe, leaving a mark on three continents and seven climes, first with the Seljuks in Anatolia, and then with the Ottomans, in the 16 stars on our presidential seal," the Turkish president said.

He stressed that the Republic of Turkiye is not, nor has it ever been, a rootless, historyless, ad hoc and newly born state.

"The Republic of Turkiye is an honourable treasure that has been passed from hand to hand, from heart to heart and from generation to generation for thousands of years. We celebrate the 100th anniversary of our Republic with pride in having such a strong, rich and deeply rooted background as a nation. We do not renounce our heritage; on the contrary, we embrace every phase of our glorious past," Erdogan stated.

As he said, they not only take lessons from the past, but also draw strength and inspiration from it.

"Our Republic, whose 100th anniversary we celebrate today, is both a source of pride and inspiration for us. The Republic was proclaimed and built on the blood, lives and sacrifices of thousands of sons and daughters of our homeland. Our people, who did not consent to captivity, degradation and imposition, crowned with victory the national struggle they began against the invaders who targeted their independence and future, and then, on 29 October 1923, established the Republic. The purpose of establishing the Republic was, according to the words of its founder, to be 'the protector of the unprotected'. In our period, the Republic has acquired this characteristic in the full sense of the word," Erdogan stated.

He stressed that today the Republic of Turkiye is a country that is "the protector of the unprotected" in its region and the world, just as Ataturk wished.

"From the Balkans to the Caucasus, from Karabakh to Africa, from Turkestan to Palestine. Wherever there is an oppressed, victimised and needy person, Turkiye is the one that rushes to help, takes them by the hand, lifts them up and solves their problems. We have shown this stance before in Korea, Cyprus, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, and recently in Karabakh. Today we show the same stance for Palestine and Gaza," Erdogan explained.

He stated that for 21 years they have been serving their beloved nation, of which they are a proud part, with the conviction that "there is no ruling over a nation, but serving".

In his address, Erdogan also shared figures showing the growth of the Republic of Turkiye.

"Our population, which was 13.6 million in 1927, reached 65 million in 2002, and 85.3 million in 2022. We hope that we will all see together in the near future a Turkiye with a population of 100 million," Erdogan stated.

He also touched upon the great progress of the Republic of Turkiye in the past 100 years, stating that in all areas, from foreign policy to tourism, culture, industry, technology and security, it can be seen that the largest projects and investments in the history of the Republic have been realised in Turkiye.

"Our greatest goal in the coming period is to preserve our democracy from the disgrace of the post-coup constitution and to provide it with a civil, libertarian and inclusive constitution befitting the centenary of our Republic," Erdogan said.

He stated that as children of a nation whose history is full of unparalleled victories, they are determined to realise the vision of the "Century of Turkiye" as well.

"On this historic day during which we celebrate the 100th anniversary of our Republic, we declare to the whole world that no imperialist power will be able to prevent the Republic from becoming content, successful and victorious. All we need to do is continue to be united, strong, brothers and sisters, and all together be Turkiye," Erdogan stressed.