We’ll embrace 85 million people: Erdoğan

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has secured another five-year term in the May 28 election has vowed to embrace the entire Turkish nation during his tenure, in his first message after he swore in as the nation’s head at the parliament.

“We will continue to work and serve for Türkiye. We will embrace all our 85 million people, regardless of their political views, origins, affiliations and sects,” Erdoğan said during the inauguration ceremony held at the Presidential Complex on June 3.

“We act in an understanding that does not highlight hatred, anger and hostility but glorifies love, tolerance, brotherhood and embracing. We say, ‘Come, let us be one, love, be loved.’ We wholeheartedly believe that this sincere call of ours will resonate with all our 85 million people with all their colors, riches and differences,” the president added.

Earlier in the day, Erdoğan took oath as the president at the Parliament and visited the mausoleum of Atatürk, the founder of the modern Türkiye. Erdoğan was reelected as the president of Türkiye in the May 28 runoff presidential polls after securing 52.16 percent of the votes.

“I wish that this honorable duty will be auspicious to all parts of our kindred geography, to humanity, and to my nation. I hope we will be worthy of the trust of our beloved nation in our person, our party and our alliance,” he said in his lengthy statement at the presidency.

Stressing Türkiye needs the energy and contribution of every single one of its citizens, Erdoğan once again called for unity and solidarity and said: “Türkiye has entered a new path with the closing of the polls and the announcement of the results. The ‘Century of Türkiye’ has begun and the doors of the period of our country’s rise have been opened.”

Let’s put aside resentments

Erdoğan issued a special call on the opposition to end the pre-election conflicts and respect the national will.

“Let us put aside the resentments and anger of the election period. Let’s find a way to reconcile if there were resentments or if hearts were broken. Let us shoulder the construction of the ‘Century of Türkiye’ together. Let us observe the 100th anniversary of our republic together as 85 million people in accordance with its glory, spirit and meaning,” the president said.

Erdoğan pledges civilian charter

Turkish people have shown that they endorse the “Century of Türkiye,” which will crown the second century of the republic, Erdoğan stated.

“We will implement our vision step by step over the next five years. We will follow up on all the promises we made to our people during the election campaign,” the president stated, vowing to save the Turkish democracy from the current constitution, whose main pillars were written by the coup plotters in 1980.

“We will save our democracy from the current constitution, which is a product of the coup, and strengthen it with a libertarian, civilian and inclusive constitution,” he stated.

Türkiye to protect its rights more decisively

Türkiye will further expand its influence through its active and humanitarian diplomacy and defend its rights in a stronger manner, Erdoğan said.

“From now on, the international community will see a Türkiye, which takes more initiative in solving global crises, strives more for the establishment of peace and stability in its region, works harder for the development of the Turkish and Islamic world, and protects the oppressed more,” the president suggested.

Türkiye’s interlocutors will see a more decisive Türkiye in the fight against terror, Erdoğan said, stressing that it will protect its rights in the Blue Homeland in a stronger way, too.