President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated a series of major expansions at Esenboğa Airport on Jan. 19, declaring that decades of infrastructure investment have elevated Türkiye to a "distinguished" position on the global stage.
"Now there is a Türkiye that has a voice on every platform, whose words and stance are eagerly awaited, a Türkiye that is followed rather than following," Erdoğan told the gathering in the capital Ankara.
The ceremony marked the opening of the airport's third runway, a new control tower and several complementary facilities. During his address, Erdoğan said the project is part of a broader 23-year effort to modernize the nation's transportation and defense sectors.
"From health to foreign policy, from education to justice, from defense to transportation, to industry, we have made enormous investments, created works and provided services in every field," Erdoğan said.
"With the projects we have implemented, we have brought Türkiye to a distinguished position both in its region and in the world."
The president highlighted the growth of Türkiye's aviation industry, noting that the number of active airports in the country has grown from 26 in 2002 to 58 since his administration took power. Erdoğan said the total will soon reach 60 with the completion of new sites in Yozgat and Bayburt.
"With the goal of leaving no point in the world unreachable, we have made Türkiye one of the countries with the widest flight network in the world," he said.
According to official figures provided by the president, passenger traffic at Esenboğa Airport has surged from 2.8 million in 2002 to nearly 14 million today. To accommodate this growth, the next phase of the airport's expansion will include a terminal extension of at least 40,000 square meters and 18,000 square meters of new taxiways.
"These numbers show us that Esenboğa Airport now needs a larger capacity and higher standards," Erdoğan said. "With this project, we will hopefully raise our success graph in aviation, especially in flight and passenger traffic, even higher."
Throughout the speech, Erdoğan contrasted his government’s record with that of his political rivals, framing the airport expansion as a symbol of his party's dedication to public service.
"In fact, with every investment whose ribbon we cut, the deep difference in vision between us and the opposition becomes apparent," he said. "Unlike those who turn the municipalities they govern into dens of bribery and corruption... who extort money from citizens like a mafia, we use this country's resources for citizens."
Erdoğan reiterated that his administration's focus remains on fulfilling the "trust of this esteemed nation" through large-scale public works.
