No Turkish alterity in Europe: Erdoğan

GENEVA

The Turkish president on Dec. 16 said that Turks living in Europe are not “aliens” in their residential countries, and there is no “otherness” in their identities.

“Today, we are hosts in Europe as we were throughout history. We are not dependents or aliens. We most certainly are not ‘the others.’” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said.

The president’s remarks came during a speech at an event in Geneva, which marked the 50th anniversary of the migration of Turks to Switzerland.

“Turkey is your motherland, but Switzerland is your home. You live and create here; you raise your children here. We always support your equal participation to the Swiss society at all times and all levels, without losing your connection to the motherland,” he said, addressing Turks in Switzerland.

Erdoğan also said that Turkey is “strongly” supporting integration yet very much against assimilation.

“Regardless of origin or sect, every single one of our brothers and sisters living abroad is the representative of the Turkish nation and has no difference from our 82 million citizens,” he added.

The president also urged Turkish citizens living abroad to increase their participation in politics, economy and culture.

PKK suffering heaviest blows in its history

In a different event in Geneva, Erdoğan said that the illegal PKK terror group is suffering the heaviest blows in its history.

During a speech while receiving European representatives of the International Democrat Union, Erdoğan praised Turkey’s anti-terror operations in Syria.

“The PKK terror group, both inside our borders and outside, is receiving the heaviest blows in its history,” he stressed.

Erdoğan said that by conducting three anti-terror operations in Syria over the last three years, Turkey destroyed the terror corridor the PKK was attempting to establish on the country’s southern border.

He added that Turkey’s anti-terror operations were also a “critical step” towards guaranteeing the territorial integrity of Syria.

Erdoğan is in Geneva to attend the first-ever Global Refugee Forum between Dec. 16-18.

Earlier on Dec. 16, he separately received Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre and European representatives of the International Democrat Union.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. It has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.