Speaking at the Grand Rumelia Gathering, President Erdoğan said: “Our brothers and sisters from Western Thrace, Bulgaria and the Balkans are not immigrants, but the true children of our country.”

“We are a state that has taken over the flag of independence and future from the Ottoman Empire, which once ruled over tens of millions of square kilometers,” President Erdoğan said. “The Republic of Türkiye is not the first, but the last state of our nation, which has been struggling for survival in these lands for a thousand years. Throughout history, we, as a nation, have taught humanity to the whole world with our dignity, conscience, mercy and compassion. With our brothers and sisters who made Anatolia their home, we first made epic history in Çanakkale.”

“The period of retreat that started after the victories of our ancestors, which extended into inner Europe, ended only with the Great Offensive. Under the leadership of Ghazi Mustafa Kemal, who was a Rumelian himself, we crowned our War of Independence with victory. By establishing the Republic, whose 100th anniversary will be celebrated on October 29th, our nation gained a safe haven where it could heal its wounds and recover for the first time in centuries,” Erdoğan said.

“Our brothers and sisters from Western Thrace, Bulgaria and the Balkans are not immigrants, but the true children of our country,” President Erdoğan underlined. Your grandfathers, your ancestors came back to their homeland. Like brothers and sisters reunited after a century of longing, we hugged and embraced one another. We cannot thank Allah enough for having a homeland like Türkiye, a home like Türkiye,” Erdoğan said.

“You must find this terrorist who shattered the windows of Turkish house with a crowbar”

Noting that when the PKK terrorist organization could not get what they wanted in Europe, they began to attack Turkish voters, President Erdoğan said: “Probably they say those voters are in favor of the People’s Alliance. That’s why they are attacking them. But it was not enough. They attacked the Turkish House right across the UN building in the US. They broke its windows. Why? You claimed to be democrats. What would you gain by attacking the Turkish House and breaking its windows? Now, won’t we say this to the American authorities, security forces? You must find quickly this terrorist and do what is necessary. How would you view it if a similar incident took place in Türkiye? The Turkish House is entrusted to you over there. You must find this terrorist who shattered the windows of Turkish House with a crowbar.”

“In the past 21 years, we have not only worked day and night for the growth, strengthening and development of Türkiye. We have also re-embraced all our brothers and sisters with whom we share a common history, belief and culture. Through TIKA and the General Directorate of Foundations, we have revived our ancestral heritages and our martyrs’ cemeteries. We have developed our cooperation in the field of education and culture through our Presidency for Turks Abroad. We have protected our language, culture, history and common civilizational values through our Yunus Emre Institutes and Maarif Foundation. We have strengthened our social ties through Turkish Airlines, Anadolu Agency and TRT. Through our Red Crescent, AFAD and non-governmental organizations, we have rushed to help our brothers and sisters in their most difficult days. We have strengthened our commercial and economic ties with the support of our businessmen. By increasing the number of our diplomatic missions, we have proudly flown our flag everywhere,” Erdoğan said.

“With these steps, we have not only fulfilled the requirements of our brotherhood law, but also healed the wounds in hearts caused by previous negligence. We have made our country's presence felt again in those lands, both diplomatically, politically and economically. Today, praise be to Allah, we can rush to help our brothers and sisters in their slightest distress. We did this when there was a flood disaster in Bosnia-Herzegovina. We did this when there was an earthquake in Albania. We did this when any disaster happened in other countries. We did this when they faced the risk of political instability. We have always stood by our brothers and sisters in their difficult times and dark days. When we complete the ‘Sarajevo-Belgrade Highway Project’, which we call the road of peace, we will open a new wind pipe to the Balkans,” Erdoğan underlined. (ILKHA)