Erdoğan highlights steps to strengthen families

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has emphasized his government's efforts to bolster the family institution and improve services for disabled citizens.

"We have tried to strengthen the family institution, which is the foundation of society, while ensuring that our elderly, needy, and disabled siblings benefit from a wide pool of social services," Erdoğan said at an event organized by his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Ankara on Dec. 2.

The event was organized ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities to outline the government's initiatives aimed at addressing inequalities and promoting accessibility.

"We have implemented the services for our disabled brothers and sisters with an approach of delivering long overdue rights, not in a supercilious manner that grants and bestows them," he said.

"We have adopted the principle of accessibility as our guide so that disabled people can directly access rights and services."

Acknowledging the contributions of disabled citizens, Erdoğan congratulated them for "adding value to our country and set an example for all of us."

“The most important issue in solving the problems of our disabled brothers and sisters is not to allow the social sensitivity to regress by bringing this issue to the agenda at every opportunity," he said.

"The more we can create awareness about our disabled brothers and sisters and the more we can spread the sense of responsibility, the more progress we can make in this process."

The president urged politicians and civil society to increase awareness and foster social responsibility through cultural and social initiatives.

Erdoğan framed the government's initiatives within a broader vision of social justice.

"We are trying to preserve and carry to higher levels all the values and practices inherited from our ancestors. This vision lies behind our comprehensive, human-focused approaches that aim to strengthen social justice and eliminate inequality," he said.

"The state of the Turkish Republic belongs to all 85 million of our citizens, regardless of origin, belief, sect, or disposition. All members of our nation are equally worthy of service and respect in the eyes of our state."

Erdoğan vowed to uphold the rights of disabled citizens as a priority.

"First and foremost among these are our disabled citizens. We are strong with our disabled citizens," he said.

"Just as we see it as our duty to end discriminatory practices against different segments of our nation, we also see it as the primary duty of our state to eliminate injustices against our disabled citizens."