Terror-free Türkiye to pave way for terror-free region: Erdoğan

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has declared that Türkiye is firmly committed to eliminating terrorism within its borders, adding that a terror-free Türkiye will pave the way for a terror-free region, and vowing to pursue this end with patience and determination.

“We will resolutely take steps to permanently rid our nation of the scourge of terrorism, which has claimed the lives of thousands of our people for nearly half a century and disrupted our march toward prosperity and stability,” Erdoğan said in his message on the occasion of Human Rights Day on Dec. 10.

“First, we will achieve the goal of a terror-free Türkiye, and then, we will definitely achieve the ideal of a terror-free region, centered on development, solidarity, cooperation and peace. We are determined, patient and sincere in this,” the president added. 

Erdoğan emphasized that the ongoing process is aimed at permanently ending the decades-long terrorism problem that has plagued Türkiye. The PKK terror organization announced in May that it would end its armed conflict against Türkiye and would dissolve itself. In line with the developments, a panel was established under the Turkish parliament’s roof to tackle the political and legal aspects of it.

Erdoğan, in his message, underscored the importance of the adoption of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as it represents the common values and achievements of humanity and still maintains its status as a global commitment that guarantees the rights inherent to every individual.

“However, the rules and principles contained in the Declaration are being violated in many parts of the world and concepts such as peace and justice are constantly losing ground,” the president stated, citing the ongoing genocide in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli government.

“Unfortunately, the atrocities in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories continue, despite all the efforts of the international community. This genocide, due to which more than 70,000 Gazans have lost their lives, is a clear indication that the values mentioned in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have been severely undermined,” he said.

 Israel continues to violate ceasefire

It is the shared responsibility of all humanity to rebuild Gaza as soon as possible, and the only path to a just and lasting peace in Gaza is to strengthen the ceasefire, Erdoğan said, referring to the implementation of a deal brokered by Türkiye, the United States, Egypt and Qatar for ending the war between Israel and Hamas.

“Israel continues to demonstrate its disregard for law and order, violating the ceasefire with attacks that have killed at least 370 Palestinians since Oct. 11. It is critically important for the international community to increase pressure on Israel to prevent Gaza from being drawn back into conflict,” he underlined.

Combating cultural racism, hostility against Islam and xenophobia is vital for upholding the principles outlined in the declaration, Erdoğan recalled, stressing, “Ignoring hate crimes and hate speech, failing to implement necessary measures and sanctions against them and even encouraging such acts under the pretext of freedom of opinion is absolutely unacceptable.”

“As Türkiye, with the strong heritage guided by our history, we will continue to defend human rights and human dignity throughout the world, especially in our heartland and cultural geography, without distinction of language, race or origin, and contribute at the highest level to global peace and security,” he added.