President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sept. 19 that the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative had made significant progress and helped the country manage wars and crises in the region.
Speaking at a public-sector job placement ceremony on Veterans Day in Istanbul, Erdoğan described the initiative as a “state project” aimed at ending nearly half a century of terrorism.
“Despite all provocations and traps over the past two years, we have made significant progress,” he said.
The process had played a strategic role in managing conflicts over the past six months, particularly those involving Iran and the Gulf, Erdoğan said.
He argued that Türkiye’s efforts had thwarted attempts to sow discord and turn people against one another.
Erdoğan said legislation approved by parliament with 467 votes marked another important step, describing the support as an unprecedented political consensus that had strengthened confidence in the process.
He also welcomed what he described as progress toward resolving the terrorism issue in Syria without bloodshed, saying Türkiye was providing support.
“God willing, we will complete the final stretch and bring peace and stability to our country and the entire region,” he said.
Erdoğan pledged to take all necessary steps to prevent terrorism from gaining ground again. He said the government would not allow any initiative that dishonored those killed in service, undermined veterans’ sacrifices or hurt their families.
He also vowed to cut off the resources of those who had profited from terrorism for nearly 50 years.
The ceremony was held to assign public-sector jobs to 571 veterans and relatives of veterans and fallen personnel.
Erdoğan said the appointments would bring the total employed under these arrangements to 53,179.
He also cited legislation adopted in August expanding support for veterans and bereaved families. Existing measures included employment rights, tax exemptions, education assistance and transport discounts, he added.
