26.03.2026 16:30
Speaking at the Expanded Provincial Chairmen's Meeting of the AK Party, President Erdoğan said, "No matter where they are, those who are ruthlessly killed are our brothers. The children who take their last breaths in school classrooms are our little ones. The women whose hearts turn to Karbala with the pain of losing their children are our mothers. The cities turned to rubble by bombs are our cities." Erdoğan's words were met with a standing ovation from party members.
President Erdoğan made striking statements regarding the war that has been ongoing in our region for days at the Expanded Provincial Chairmen Meeting of his party at the AK Party Congress Center.
"DRAGGING OUR GEOGRAPHY TOWARDS A GREAT DISASTER"
Stating that "the war initiated against Iran on February 28 with Israel's provocations continues to drown our region in the smell of blood and gunpowder," Erdoğan emphasized, "Innocent children, who have no sin and no knowledge of anything, become targets of missiles and bombs while attending classes in their schools. Our region is experiencing the most painful and arduous days of the last century. A genocide network, blinded by hatred and vengeance, is dragging our geography towards a great disaster by hiding behind religious arguments," he said.
WORDS THAT WERE APPLAUDED STANDING
Continuing his remarks, Erdoğan emphasized that those who are ruthlessly killed, no matter where they are, are our brothers. "Children who take their last breaths in school are our little ones. Women whose hearts turn to Karbala with the pain of losing their children are our mothers. The cities turned to rubble by bombs are our cities. What difference does it make in the eyes of the massacre network whether our names are Ali, Murtaza, Ömer, Ayşe, Zeynep, Hasan, or Hüseyin?" he said. Erdoğan's words were met with prolonged standing applause from the party members in the hall.
Highlights from Erdoğan's statements;
I had requested that if there is even a single house without warmth, you must find them, and I emphasized that our organization must work with the spirit of mobilization. Our organization did not let us down this Ramadan either. Throughout Ramadan, we were fully present on the ground with our Ministers, Deputy Chairpersons, Central Decision-Making Committee Members, our parliamentarians, and all our organizations.
"WE WERE GUESTS OF OUR EARTHQUAKE-STRICKEN BROTHERS"
With our First Home First Iftar programs, we were guests of our earthquake-stricken brothers in the new homes we delivered in recent months. One of the most important qualities that makes us who we are, that makes us strong and unique, is this. Every comrade we see as the pillars and living memories of our party, who have shouldered this cause and contributed to this movement, has a place above our heads. We reunited with the veterans of our party through the iftar gatherings we organized at our headquarters since its establishment.
We came together with our elderly and disabled citizens during iftar and sahur. Our women's and youth branches were on the streets, in homes, in our organizational buildings, on campuses, and in our iftar tents throughout the month of Ramadan. With the campus iftars we held at our universities, we shared the joy of Ramadan with 500,000 of our youth. While strengthening the unity and solidarity of 86 million, we, as the AK Party, did not forget our neighbor Syria in the reconstruction and revival process. We facilitated 250,000 Syrian brothers to break their fasts at the iftar tables set up by our municipalities and organizations.
"WE REACHED OVER 1 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS"
With just the heart tables program, we reached over 1 million households. During the holy month of Ramadan, we did not neglect our citizens who have turned their exile into home, especially in Europe. We ensured that they also benefit from the spiritual climate of this blessed month.
ABOUT THE ATTACKS ON IRAN
The war initiated against Iran on February 28 with Israel's provocations continues to drown our region in the smell of blood and gunpowder. Innocent children, who have no sin and no knowledge of anything, become targets of missiles and bombs while attending classes in their schools. Our region is experiencing the most painful and arduous days of the last century. A genocide network, blinded by hatred and vengeance, is dragging our geography towards a great disaster.
No matter where they are, those who are ruthlessly killed are our brothers. Children who take their last breaths in school are our little ones. Women whose hearts turn to Karbala with the pain of losing their children are our mothers. The cities turned to rubble by bombs are our cities. What difference does it make in the eyes of the massacre network whether our names are Ali, Murtaza, Ömer, Ayşe, Zeynep, Hasan, or Hüseyin?
"WHETHER WE ARE SHIA OR SUNNI..."
Are we not the ones who are harmed, hit, and bleed with every missile fired, whether in Iran or the Gulf? Is it not our region's economy that is bleeding due to this senseless war? Are the billions of dollars worth of infrastructure facilities destroyed by missiles, bombs, and drones not the resources of our brothers in the region? For 27 days, is there any difference in the eyes of the attacks whether we are Shia or Sunni, Turkish, Kurdish, or Arab?
Even if our sects and origins are different, is not the blood flowing all over our geography ours? Let everyone be assured of this: we neither make distinctions between our brothers and neighbors nor remain spectators to the pain of our brothers. As Turkey and the Turkish nation, we do not leave the peoples we consider friends and brothers in good times alone in bad times. While blood flows in our region, I must reiterate that we do not find it right to bring back discussions from a thousand years ago, to open old books, or to fall into the trap of days that will serve discord.
"WE REJECT ALL KINDS OF DISCUSSIONS"
We reject any actions or discussions that will deepen grievances among brotherly peoples, escalate enmity, and provide logistical support to the plans of Zionism to divide, conquer, and rule our region. For hundreds of years, our pain has been one, our troubles have been one, our sorrow has been one. Our joy, excitement, and enthusiasm have been one. Just as our past has been, hopefully, our future will also be one and together. After the dust cloud we are in settles, we will again look into each other's faces as neighbors and brothers. After the deafening roar of bombs and missiles hopefully ceases, we will live together in this geography again.
"NETANYAHU IS NOT ONLY TARGETING IRAN"
While the war is Israel's war, it is the Muslims who first pay the heavy price of the bill that emerges, and then all of humanity. The Netanyahu government is not only targeting our neighbor Iran. It is gradually implementing plans to occupy Lebanon. Since March 2, 1,100 Lebanese have lost their lives in the attacks of the occupying forces, and 1,165,000 of our brothers have been displaced. Israel is not leaving Syria alone either. It continues its actions that violate Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty. The Zionist massacre network has kept our first qibla, Al-Aqsa Mosque, closed for 27 days. It is an arrogant attack. The visit of Muslims to Al-Aqsa Mosque cannot be prevented or banned."