Erdoğan: Türkiye now shapes its future through own will

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Aug. 14 hailed his ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) 25-year journey, saying it had transformed Türkiye into a country that “shapes its future by its own will.”

In an article marking the party’s 25th founding anniversary, Erdoğan said his movement was founded with the aim of reshaping Türkiye’s future, strengthening the bond between the state and citizens and ensuring that the country could make its own decisions.

“Nothing will ever be the same in Türkiye again,” Erdoğan recalled saying when the party was founded, adding that its “greatest source of confidence was the will of the people.”

He said the party emerged as a “common hope” for millions who faced restrictions on their rights, carried the burden of crises and sought a more prosperous future for their children.

“Looking back today, we see that the AK Party’s quarter-century corresponds to a historic transformation... Türkiye has evolved into a country that sets its own goals, believes in its capabilities and shapes its future through its own will,” Erdoğan said.

He said democratic legitimacy had been strengthened, the state’s capacity to deliver public services had improved and participation in public life had expanded.

Referring to the 2016 coup attempt as one of the “most severe tests” of democratic legitimacy, Erdoğan said the Turkish people had demonstrated that no power outside the ballot box could determine the country’s future.

“This determined stance was a historic turning point in leaving the era of tutelage behind, strengthening civilian politics and consolidating our democracy,” he said.

Erdoğan highlighted investments in education, health care, transportation, energy, social policies and urban development, saying public services had been expanded across the country and economic and social participation had been strengthened.

He also pointed to advances in the defense industry and high technology, saying Türkiye had significantly reduced its dependence on foreign suppliers in strategic areas.

He cited unmanned aerial vehicles, the indigenous Kaan fighter jet, warships and air defense systems, as well as the Togg electric vehicle, the country’s space program, nuclear energy investments and natural gas discoveries in the Black Sea as symbols of Türkiye’s “new confidence.”

“Going forward, we will turn this accumulated experience into a new leap in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, energy technologies and high value-added production,” he said.

Erdoğan said Türkiye had become an influential actor in an increasingly multipolar international system, pursuing a foreign policy based on national interests, diplomacy, dialogue and humanitarian responsibility.

He said Türkiye had strengthened its ties with the Turkic and Islamic worlds while advocating for the rights of the oppressed on international platforms.

He described Türkiye as “a strong NATO ally, an active G20 member, a leading member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and a key actor in Europe’s security architecture.”

“From the Black Sea to the Middle East, the Caucasus to Africa, we are contributing to peace and stability across a broad geography,” he said.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Ömer Karakaş resigned from the İYİ (Good) Party, reducing the nationalist organization’s number of seats in parliament to 27. He was expected to join the AKP at an event later on Aug. 14.