President Erdoğan vows continued investment in Turkey’s eastern provinces

VAN

The government will continue its investments in the country’s eastern provinces for prosperity and fair development of the entire country, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, stressing that they are not discriminating against anyone because of their ethnicity.

“For me, there is no difference between my Kurdish brothers and my Turkish brothers. Because we love all those created because of the creator. We cannot discriminate. We didn’t do it yesterday, we don’t do it today, and we won’t do it tomorrow,” Erdoğan told a rally in the eastern province of Van during a visit over the weekend.

At a speech at the opening ceremony of the newly built facilities in Van, President Erdoğan noted, “We have nothing to do with empty rhetoric, abuse, lies or slanders. We speak through real numbers and tangible actions. We have made 38 billion Turkish Liras worth of public investment in Van over the past 20 years.”

Criticizing the mayors from the ranks of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) who had ruled Van in the past years, “I ask you my brothers: Who left Van without water? They cut the water. Van Greater Municipality had to resolve the water problem, but it did not that,” Erdoğan said.

He said he instructed the State Hydraulic Works to tackle the problem in Van, “Nobody has the right to leave my Kurdish brothers without water. And we have solved the problem without discriminating between Kurd and Turk. Is there a problem like that now? No, and it won’t repeat.”

There are ongoing projects and constructions to make life better and easier for the people of Van, President Erdoğan stated, informing about a substantial environmental plan for the protection and promotion of Van Lake as one of the most beautiful places in the country.

“We have eight People’s Garden projects in Van, the city of tourism, transportation and logistics,” the president stated, adding, with the completion of ongoing construction of the highway and other roads around the city, Van will be much more connected with the rest of the country.

“A new organized industrial site and a techno-park are now functioning. Van is advancing on its way to become one of the prominent production centers of our country,” Erdoğan said, informing that the government is providing necessary funds and credits to local investors.

“We want to have a more just, more equitable, more peaceful, safer and more prosperous country for all of us, and we continue our struggle for this. For this, we have protected every issue of our brothers in Van, just like every other city. That’s what we said,” he stated.