President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on April 26 condemned the incident of a shooter charging a glitzy media gala attended by his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump.
In a statement shared on social media, Erdoğan said he “strongly condemns” the assassination attempt against Trump and extended his well wishes to him, his family and the U.S. community.
"In democracies, the struggle is conducted through ideas; there is no place for any form of violence," he wrote.
The shooting suspect was taken into custody and identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, law enforcement officials said.
World leaders from multiple countries issued similar messages condemning the attack.
On April 25, Erdoğan said urban transformation is the “only solution” to Türkiye's housing needs and earthquake risks, as he attended a mass housing lottery ceremony in Istanbul and reiterated calls to accelerate the renewal of aging buildings.
“There is no alternative to urban transformation,” Erdoğan said at the draw for thousands of government-backed social housing units, adding that making Istanbul more resilient would directly enhance the country’s overall security and stability.
He said strengthening the country’s building stock is essential for protecting lives, particularly in Istanbul, which faces a high risk of a major earthquake. He urged residents to support and participate in urban renewal efforts, describing them as critical to the city’s future.
The ceremony marked the allocation process for 100,000 homes in Istanbul under a broader nationwide social housing campaign led by the government. The initiative is part of a larger plan to deliver 500,000 housing units across Türkiye, aimed primarily at low and middle-income families struggling with rising housing costs.
Erdoğan said the government has already overseen the construction of more than 1.7 million social housing units through the state housing agency and has carried out extensive urban transformation projects, including the renewal of hundreds of thousands of independent units in Istanbul alone.
He stressed that the new housing projects would not only address affordability concerns but also ensure safer living conditions by adhering to updated construction standards designed to withstand earthquakes.
Officials said the homes being allocated will be offered with long-term, affordable payment plans, allowing beneficiaries to purchase properties with manageable installments. Construction is expected to accelerate following the completion of the lottery process.
Erdoğan also used the occasion to criticize opposition parties, accusing them of failing to support or match the scale of the government’s housing and infrastructure initiatives.
Türkiye has intensified its focus on urban transformation in recent years, particularly after devastating earthquakes in the country’s south in 2023 renewed concerns about the safety of older buildings in major cities.
The lottery process in Istanbul is set to continue through this month, with applicants able to check results through official channels as beneficiaries are determined in phases.
