President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Dec. 25 praised the Turkish diaspora as a vital pillar of the nation's economic and political strength.
"We see a strong Turkish diaspora that makes a very important contribution to our country's economy, foreign policy and soft power," Erdoğan said during an event at the presidential complex in Ankara.
He was addressing representatives of the Union of International Democrats (UID), a Germany-based organization dedicated to the Turkish community in Europe.
"We are talking about a large workforce of over 7 million people who provide very important services to Türkiye and make a very significant contribution to the Turkish economy," Erdoğan said. "Even just the tourism figures are enough to understand what our friends abroad are doing for the Turkish economy."
Erdoğan also emphasized that the diaspora serves as an economic engine in their host countries, operating tens of thousands of businesses.
Much of this migration has historically centered on Western and Northern Europe. Germany remains the primary hub, housing approximately 3 million people of Turkish descent — the largest ethnic minority group in the country.
During his speech, the president claimed the opposition is "disturbed" by the diaspora’s success and its enduring ties to Türkiye.
"The fact that our citizens abroad contribute to Türkiye and strengthen their ties with their homeland disturbs certain circles," Erdoğan said. "They insult our brothers and sisters who work hard for 11 months of the year, saving every penny to return to their homeland in the summer."
He further characterized his political opponents as having an "arrogant mentality" that is "hostile" to various groups, including refugees and international students.
"They are enemies of our expatriate brothers whose hearts burn with longing for their homeland," he said. "They have no respect for anyone but themselves."
Erdoğan pledged that his government would remain a protector of Turkish citizens regardless of where they reside.
"We will not allow any of our people to be oppressed or mistreated, either inside or outside Türkiye," he said.
The UID was founded in 2004 as the Union of European Turkish Democrats. It rebranded in 2018 to reflect its broader international scope in advocating for the social and political interests of the Turkish community abroad.
