Addressing thousands of Roma who came to İstanbul to attend the meeting organized as part of a government initiative to find solutions to problems faced by the ethnic minority,Erdoğan met with nearly 10,000 Roma last Sunday during a meeting with a festive atmosphere, a move that came as part of the government’s democratic initiative, which is intended to expand the rights of previously disadvantaged groups and communities such as the Kurds, the Alevis and the Roma. “As the state, we have shouldered the responsibility on this [Roma] issue. From now on, your problems are my problems. Nobody in this country can be treated as ‘half’ a person. We cannot tolerate this,” the prime minister said during the speech he delivered at the Roma meeting at İstanbul’s Abdi İpekçi Sports Hall on Sunday.
Thousands of Roma came to İstanbul from a number of provinces across Turkey. The groups began gathering in front of the sports hall in the morning and waited for the meeting to start while dancing and singing songs. The meeting started with concerts and dance performances staged by various Roma groups. Famed Roma singer Balık Ayhan also gave a concert. The prime minister was met with slogans of “Tayyip Baba” (father Tayyip), and Turkish flags waved as he entered the jam-packed hall. The prime minister presented carnations to the Roma as he toured the hall.
