President Erdoğan: “Those who have turned the children of the nation into servants and made them mindless through donations will meet an end like that of other human-like demons in history, which is an dishonorable death.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated, “The end of those who turn the children of the nation into ‘servants’ and ‘donors’ is an undignified death like other human-like demons in history.”

President and AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the AK Party Expanded Provincial Chairmen’s Meeting organized by his party. Erdoğan greeted the members of his party. He stated that they have never been a cadre that misinterprets the people’s affection and that they, as the AK Party, are a political party that is on the path of serving the nation and grows as it serves the nation. Erdoğan said, “Let everyone know this; we are a political party that has set out to serve the nation and grows as it serves the nation. Next month, we will complete the 22nd year of our duty to govern Turkey. Since we came to power with the Anatolian revolution on November 3, 2002, we have been running with love without stopping, resting, or mixing our nights with our days, based on the principle that ‘one who runs with love does not tire.’ We are engaged in a sincere struggle to carry the will entrusted to us by the nation, which we hold with honor, without tarnishing it in the slightest. Thank God, we have not done any job that would embarrass us before our nation until today. There were days when we challenged the coup plotters who aimed at the national will, days when we put our lives on the line against bloody terrorist organizations, days when we stood against the elites who see themselves as the owners of the country, days when we fought the bureaucratic oligarchy, days when we showed that this country is not ownerless against imperialists and their subcontractors. We have never bowed down to undemocratic power centers that posed as guardians of the status quo against tutelage, mafia, gangs, and terrorist organizations, injustice, and unlawfulness. They published declarations against the nation in the middle of the night. We crumpled them up and threw them in the trash. During the Gezi protests, they attempted to stage a coup through street terror. We stood firmly by our democracy. They carried out operations against the elected government during the February 7 MIT crisis and then the December 17-25 initiative. We did not submit to any of them. On the night of July 15, our noble nation taught a lesson to the FETÖ traitors who cowardly fired bullets at the nation while hiding behind weapons spewing death and planes raining bombs. While the cowards slipped away between the tanks, we made the coup plotters feel the heat in the squares. We said, ‘There is a calculation above every calculation.’ We said, ‘Allah is the best of planners.’ We said, ‘There is a destiny above destiny.’ We defeated the traitorous eyes clouded by blood and hatred in one fell swoop. We grew our humility along with our victories. We have never been among those who are filled with pride and keep a distance from the people. We have never deviated for a moment from the route drawn by our nation and the direction determined by the nation.”

“We have young people who were treacherously martyred by terrorists while still in the spring of their lives.”

Erdoğan emphasized that despite paying the price in their difficult struggle, they did not let the nation and the country pay the price. He said, “We have young people who were treacherously martyred by terrorists while still in the spring of their lives. Our young children who fell to the ground with the bullets of the FETÖ traitors were our friends who drank the martyrdom potion at just 17 years old. We have lost many road companions in traffic accidents and natural disasters. Like every death, the passing of these friends and brothers was early and untimely. It ignited a flame in our hearts. I pray that God has mercy on them all. Here, I especially pray for our precious daughter Betül Önderoğlu, a member of the Ankara Provincial Youth Branch Board, who lost her life in a traffic accident recently. I wish patience and condolences to Betül’s family, friends, and loved ones. We will carry the flag they proudly carried until their last breath without letting it touch the ground, and we will hand it over to future generations in the best way possible. Like we have until now, we will continue our journey of serving Turkey with a noble sense of duty and dignity that will set an example for people,” he stated.

“We will always be on the neck of the FETÖ hyena pack, whether within the country or in the most remote corners of the world.”

Regarding the death of FETÖ leader Fetullah Gülen, Erdoğan noted that the end of those who have turned the children of the nation into ‘service’ and ‘donation’ is an undignified death like other human-like demons in history and said:

“These traitors, despite all our efforts, have unfortunately managed to escape Turkish justice by clinging to the skirts of their godfathers. They left this world without answering for the crimes they committed, the innocent minds they corrupted, and the martyr blood they shed. But they will not be able to escape divine justice. We know and believe that God’s punishment is severe. Our Lord will hold these traitors accountable one by one for the evils they have done to this country and this nation. We, as a state, will continue our struggle decisively until FETÖ is completely eliminated. We will always be on the neck of the FETÖ hyena pack, whether within the country or in the most remote corners of the world. I remember with mercy, gratitude, and respect all the heroes martyred on the night of July 15 for our independence and future, especially our comrade and fellow traveler Erol Olçok and his precious son Abdullah Tayyip. With the death of the main traitor, the hearts of our martyr families have cooled a bit, our veterans have found some solace, and thus the fate of those who betrayed Turkey has been revealed.”

“There is no place for ‘me’ and selfishness under the roof of the AK Party.”

Recalling that they have started the 8th Ordinary Congress process as of October 12, President Erdoğan said, “So far, we have successfully completed our congresses in 259 of our districts in an atmosphere of celebration, brotherhood, and affection, thank God. I congratulate our newly elected and continuing brothers in their duties and wish them great success from Mevla. I thank our friends for their services and sacrifices to our party, and I say may Allah be pleased with them all. I believe that we will continue our congress marathon as a relay race, as has always been the case. I want to remind you all and our entire organization that we are different from our political rivals not only in terms of vision, effort, horizon, and service but also in terms of our sense of duty and camaraderie. Under the roof of the AK Party, there is no place for ‘me’ and selfishness. In this cadre, there is ‘us.’ In this cadre, there is not a hunger for seats, positions, or ranks; there is a passion for serving the nation and a love for Turkey. Taking on a duty is certainly important. But what matters most is being voluntary, not being assigned. The AK Party was born as a movement of the heart and has come to this point through the sacrificial efforts of those who have devoted themselves to it,” he stated.

Erdoğan emphasized that they are not fighting for personal gains like others but are engaged in a struggle for the future of Turkey and the Turkish nation, stating, “What matters for us is the approval of the truth and the people. What matters for us is the prayer of our noble nation. What matters for us is Turkey’s bright future. What matters for us is that our cause is not interrupted. As AK cadres, we are comrades who set out to serve the nation. Just as we have kept ambition, pride, and ego away from our doors since day one, we will continue on our path by putting our identities, egos, and pride under our feet if necessary. We will not allow those who are lurking to open a gap in the solid, unshakable, and indestructible fortress of the AK Party for strife and discord. We will leave the political traders who base all their hopes on the weakening of the AK Party empty-handed. We will not leave a single friend outside, will not exclude anyone, will not hurt anyone’s feelings, will be united, will be one, and will tighten our ranks even more. Without distinguishing between ‘old-new, young-old,’ we will continue to work with love for this country, this homeland, and this flag,” he said.

“We know that there are malicious forces waiting for the AK Party and the People’s Alliance to stumble.”

Noting that the stronger their parties and alliances are, the stronger Turkey is and that it is in safe hands, Erdoğan said, “But if we weaken, it means Turkey is weakening, bleeding, and losing power. We know that there are malicious forces waiting for the AK Party and the People’s Alliance to stumble. With God’s permission, we will not give them the opportunity they expect. I ask you not to forget for a moment that you are also carrying the hope of millions whose faces are turned to our country with the trust of the nation. Due to the series of elections we have held over the past year, we are taking sincere steps to disperse the tense political atmosphere. We are striving to transform the next 3.5 years, during which the elections are not on the horizon, into a mobilization of achievements for our country and nation. While our region is going through a very painful period, and maps are being drawn in blood again, just like a century ago, while the fire that Israel set in Gaza and is now carrying to Lebanon approaches our borders day by day, we are trying to strengthen our internal front.

We say to all 85 million without distinction, ‘Come, let us be one, let us be large, let us be alive, let us be flowers.’ We want to increase our commonalities in a framework of mutual respect, as stated in the words of Hacı Bektaş Veli, ‘Our structure is built on love and respect. Our door remains open from the past to eternity.’ We want to unite as 85 million on the common ground of Turkey. It is a valuable achievement for the unity and integrity of Turkey that those who have sown seeds of hatred among our nation for years through sectarian, ethnic, and ideological differences have been pushed aside, even if it is through a dubious congress process,” he stated.

Erdoğan expressed his hopes for the abandonment of the ugly language that has trapped the opposition for years and for a new and clean page in politics. He noted, “The expectation of our nation from the political actors is in this direction. The dangerous conjuncture our geography is in encourages all of us as politicians to act more responsibly and soberly. We must not allow the politicians of old Turkey, who are incompetent and greedy, to poison this climate. I emphasize again; tension and street politics will only cause loss to those who resort to it and all the country and the nation. No one representing the national will has the right to make the burden of our country heavier. This nation will never forgive those who enter a formula or personal account that will cause Turkey to lose. Therefore, it is important that all of us, regardless of whether we are in power or opposition, do not give importance to disputes and quarrels that are not beneficial to the country. Of course, we will criticize the issues we do not find right. We will defend the rights and law of those who trust us. We will respond to attacks on our party and government. But while doing this, we will certainly maintain balance, not fall into the trap, and always preserve our dignity and composure. I want it to be known here; as the late Mehmet Akif said, if we are mild, we are not the docile sheep that someone thinks we are,” he stated.

“We cannot approach those who advocate violence and those who see violence as a means of seeking rights with tolerance.”

Emphasizing that they could not remain silent against injustice, unlawfulness, and insolence, President Erdoğan stated, “For instance, we will not say hello to those who have a problem with our national anthem and undermine our democracy. Whether they are a bar association, a lawyer, a politician, or a journalist disguised as a terrorist sympathizer, we cannot approach those who advocate violence and those who see violence as a means of seeking rights with tolerance. We expect everyone to realize that there is no place for terrorism and the dark shadow of terrorism in the future of Turkey. In this direction, we hope that the historic opportunity window opened by the People’s Alliance will not be sacrificed to personal accounts. We want to build a Turkey free of terror and violence together as a political institution, parliament, civil society, media, academia, and the entire nation. The state exists for the nation and to serve the nation,” he stated.

“When we took on the responsibility of managing the country at the end of 2002, we primarily identified our areas of service as health, education, justice, and security.”

Pointing out that the state’s duty is to provide its citizens with the best service possible in terms of security, justice, education, and health, Erdoğan said, “A state that has weaknesses in these fundamental areas is not fulfilling its duty properly. When we took on the responsibility of managing the country at the end of 2002, we primarily identified our areas of service as health, education, justice, and security. To this day, we have never compromised on this sensitivity. We inherited a really bad picture of Turkey in terms of health. If there was a hospital, there were no doctors; if there were doctors, there were no medicines. Even if you somehow found the medicine, there was no money to buy it. My brothers over the age of forty clearly remember what a bundle of problems the healthcare system of old Turkey was,” he said.

Emphasizing that they have achieved a true revolution in healthcare over the past 22 years, Erdoğan stated, “While changing the healthcare system to be citizen-focused, we built new hospitals and healthcare centers, improved existing ones, and modernized the infrastructure. In 2002, the number of hospital beds was 164,000, including 18,000 qualified beds; now, we have a total of 270,000 beds, including 182,000. We opened 25 city hospitals equipped with the most modern devices, providing 36,508 bed capacity in hotel-like rooms. In addition to renewing our hospitals physically, we equipped them with the most modern tools and devices, with a sufficient number of personnel. We have achieved significant successes in a wide range, including tomography, MRI, dialysis devices, and ambulances. For example, the number of ambulances increased from 618 to 5,746, and the number of 112 stations reached 2,990 from 481. We were the ones who introduced Turkey to helicopter and airplane ambulance services for the first time. We increased the number of our healthcare professionals from 378,000 to 1,462,000. The number of our specialist doctors rose from 45,000 to 108,000,” he stated.

Stating that they have introduced the world’s most inclusive social security system to Turkey, Erdoğan continued, “We eliminated the fragmented structure, where there were separate hospitals for civil servants, workers, and many employees, and they could not go to each other. We made healthcare services accessible by uniting all public hospitals under separate or the same roof. Thus, without distinguishing between public and private, we offered all citizens the entire healthcare services of Turkey. With the opening of private healthcare institutions to our citizens, we facilitated access to healthcare services even more. Again, in this process, we ensured that private healthcare institutions provide services without charging extra fees for emergencies and certain services. From intensive care to burn treatment, cancer treatment to healthcare services provided to newborns, from organ, tissue, and stem cell transplants to surgeries for congenital anomalies, to hemodialysis treatments and heart surgery-related procedures, we opened the doors for our citizens to receive services in private healthcare institutions without paying additional fees. I say again. Throughout this process, our goal was to provide our nation with the best healthcare services, whether in state hospitals or private hospitals. With the home healthcare services we implemented for the first time, we are bringing health services to the feet of 2.6 million citizens today. We ensure that all our brothers receive first-class healthcare services, regardless of wealth or poverty.”

Stating that the nation knows very well how city hospitals shouldered a great burden during the coronavirus pandemic that swept the world, Erdoğan said, “Thanks to its strong healthcare infrastructure, Turkey has become one of the countries that has comfortably overcome the biggest health crisis of the last century. The reforms we have implemented in the health sector are, I openly say, at a level that will set an example for the world. We have reached a point where approximately 1.6 million tourists from many countries around the world sought their healing in our country in 2023, entrusting their health to Turkish doctors and hospitals. Our country has earned over $3 billion from health tourism. In short, no matter how you look at it, we see a great success story. The most immediate witnesses of this are our citizens themselves. I leave the judgment of those who are not heard in the race to serve the citizen but come to the front line when it comes to slandering, distorting, and insulting to the foresight and insight of our noble nation,” he stated.

“The former chairman of the CHP, as well as the new leader, cannot say a word to us on this matter.”

Responding to the words of former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, President Erdoğan stated, “I return the insults hurled by a person who has no success other than sinking the SSK in his bureaucratic career. The last person who can speak about healthcare services in this country is the former chairman of the CHP, Kılıçdaroğlu. Not only the former chairman of the CHP but also the new leader cannot say a word to us on this matter. Especially, they cannot criticize. While the nation was struggling with the coronavirus pandemic, the mentality that was even incapable of building the access roads to Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital should remain silent during this process if they have any sense of shame. I want to say this especially,” he stated.

“Making politics over the funerals of innocent babies and the grief of their families is nothing but a seizure of conscience.”

Speaking about the newborn gang, President Erdoğan said, “Recently, there has been a gang operation that has deeply shaken and saddened all of us, bleeding the conscience of everyone who is human. Although this gang operation has just come to the country’s agenda, the start date of the investigation dates back a year and a half. Upon complaints, our Ministry of Health and the Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate immediately took action. Close cooperation between our health, security, and judicial units was established, and technical and physical surveillance of the gang was initiated. The responsible parties are pursued with determination. As a result of the meticulous investigation, operations were carried out against the gang members, and their leaders were arrested. Of the 47 suspects in the file, 22 are currently in prison. While these events are taking place in the judicial dimension of the investigation, our Ministry of Health is closing a hospital in Tekirdağ. The licenses of nine hospitals in Istanbul are also revoked. This means that immediate legal and administrative actions are taken against anyone or any health institution that led to the deaths of 12 innocent babies. In this situation, it is a great irresponsibility for the opposition and the opposition media to join hands with the medical chamber, which accused the Turkish army of using chemical weapons, and shamelessly target us, our ministries, our healthcare system, and even our entire healthcare personnel. Making politics over the funerals of innocent babies and the grief of their families is nothing but a seizure of conscience,” he stated.

“We will not allow the health community to be tarnished because of a few rotten apples.”

Erdoğan stated that he would not allow the approximately one and a half million healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, midwives, caregivers, technicians, assistants, and professors, to be tarnished because of a handful of dishonorable people. He said, “The opposition may have forgotten how our healthcare personnel demonstrated great effort during the pandemic at the cost of their own lives and staying away from their families for weeks. But we have never forgotten, and we will not forget. We will not allow the health community to be tarnished because of a few rotten apples. I repeat; there is a gang of humanity that has cast a deadly shadow on the lives of 12 of our children due to greed for money. This gang, including sympathizers of the separatist terrorist organization, has committed such a heinous atrocity by exploiting the opportunities provided by our state to offer higher quality and accessible healthcare services to our citizens. Our state has taken action from the very beginning and has taken every necessary step. I also want to say that those who commit such barbarism will be held accountable for their crimes in the most severe manner before the law. As the president, I will continue to personally follow up on the issue to ensure that these criminals, who play with the lives of innocent babies for material gain, do not see the light of day again.

I have given very clear instructions to our Ministers of Health and Justice in my discussion with them. Once again, I offer my condolences to the families who have lost their children. I pray that God does not make anyone experience such pain,” he stated.

Recently, Erdoğan stated that they have received many complaints from citizens regarding the pricing policies of private healthcare institutions. He added, “Moreover, we hear that some bad habits that we thought had remained in old Turkey are starting to re-emerge from our patients’ relatives. I want it to be known that we will confront these as well. Our citizens have one of the best healthcare systems in the world in terms of both inclusivity and accessibility. Our government is doing everything it can to increase the effectiveness of our healthcare system. We will not allow opportunists, whose eyes are blinded by greed for money, to sabotage the system from the inside or outside,” he stated.

President Erdoğan announced that he would travel to the city of Kazan in Tatarstan at the invitation of Russian President Putin tomorrow and participate in the expanded leaders’ session to be held within the framework of the BRICS summit.