AK Party Istanbul Deputy and Marmara Group Foundation Eurasian Economic Summits General Coordinator Şamil Ayrım read out Erdoğan's message.

In his message, Erdoğan wished the summit to be auspicious and said: “I welcome all our brothers and sisters from all over our country and other cherished lands to the summit.”

Erdoğan proceeded by stating that the summit took place at a time when our nation was shaken by one of the greatest disasters in human history, and added:

“The 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş on February 6 directly affected 11 provinces and 14 million people. Our country's economy was severely damaged by these earthquakes, which claimed the lives of more than 48 thousand citizens. With the support of our business community, we continue the mobilization we initiated in numerous domains immediately following the earthquake.”

Erdoğan emphasized that they intend to restore all destroyed cities within a year, including their infrastructure and superstructure. Erdoğan stated that in this process, in addition to the relevant state institutions, the business community has major roles and responsibilities, and noted the following:

“We expect our entrepreneurs to protect their workplaces, factories, and sources of livelihood while also mobilizing all available resources for earthquake victims. I believe that we will overcome this difficult test together as a state and nation. I would like to thank each and every one of you for your contributions. I wish you a successful summit.”. (ILKHA)