He also added that his party does not determine its policies according to suspicion and a fabricated sense of fear. “Any threats, any sinister scenarios, any illegal organizations will be unable to stop this nation’s steps forward. This nation has always responded to those who want to shatter the determination of the nation to progress and to grow, who put it in small boxes and darken its horizon and who want to imprison it in cages,” said the prime minister, alluding to the Cage Operation Action Plan, which was allegedly devised by some members of the Naval Forces Command. He also noted that people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and numerous religions and sects have come together in Turkey under the same flag and the same state. “We will be successful together if we are strong and maintain our solidarity. We are all citizens of a powerful country.”
“We are moving forward with a powerful vision of Turkey. We have been strengthened by our past, our fraternity, our solidarity and our cooperation, and we are struggling to expand our wealth and our potential [to develop] and convert Turkey’s opportunities into peace, stability and wellbeing,” said Erdoğan, adding that he wants the nation as a whole to act according to this vision and carry the same hopes.
Erdoğan also noted that the government and his party have always seen and handled interconnected problems from a comprehensive point of view. Focusing on the fulfillment of the European Union’s membership criteria, Turkey has become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in addition to signing several important agreements in regards to energy corridors, the prime minister noted, adding that along with these developments, the government has been working to serve the nation by carrying out construction projects.
Commenting on 18 people who were rescued on Saturday night after being trapped by avalanche near Ovit Mountain, located between Erzurum and Rize, Erdoğan thanked Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım and the governor of Rize for their tremendous efforts during the search-and-rescue operation, saying, “With the efforts of the military forces and the authorities of civil defense organizations, thanks to God, the people were rescued before any tragedy occurred.”
The prime minister also focused on developments in the economy and stated that when they took office, the unemployment rate was 10.2 percent. Taking into account the effects of the global financial crisis, he said unemployment had reached 13.8 percent. He noted that when positive developments are felt in the service sector, growth will be triggered in the economy, but he emphasized that the economic situation of the service sector worldwide is not good, especially in the United States.
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