Erdoğan vows to eradicate terrorism

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pledged to eliminate the threat of terrorism in Türkiye, asserting that "neither cover nor support would deter the impending fate awaiting terrorists."

"Terrorists will either repent and surrender to Turkish justice or they will face the iron fist of our state. There is no other way before them," Erdoğan remarked during a graduation ceremony at the Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy in the capital Ankara on Aug. 22.

Erdoğan highlighted the country's "considerable advancements" in upholding public order and bolstering security services, particularly in combating terrorism.

"Membership in terrorist organizations has plummeted to unprecedented lows... Over the last two and a half months, 32 terrorists have surrendered as a result of persuasion. I anticipate these numbers will rise in the near future," he remarked.

Underscoring the nation's commitment to addressing irregular migration, Erdoğan elaborated on the measures taken against human smugglers, both within the country and along the border.

The president emphasized that 143,000 irregular migrants have been thwarted from entering Türkiye since the year's inception. Furthermore, of the 61,000 illegal migrants apprehended within the past two and half months, 25,000 have been expeditiously deported, he informed.

Erdoğan also touched upon Türkiye's initiatives in Syria, stating, "The construction of permanent residences built in the north of Syria in order to facilitate voluntary, dignified and safe returns continues."

The president highlighted the financial support from Qatar and anticipated that approximately 1 million displaced individuals would be able to return to their homeland upon the completion of these houses.

Addressing maritime challenges, Erdoğan credited Turkish Coast Guard teams with averting tragedies in the Aegean Sea.

"In an environment where almost 700 hopefuls are watched to die, we mobilize all available resources to safeguard lives," he asserted, referring to an overcrowded fishing boat's capsize off Greece in June as they tried to reach Europe.

"While someone sentenced these people to death in the Aegean by skewering them, our Coast Guard forces are rescuing them from those waves. This is the clearest expression of Turkish compassion.”