President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s message on New Year’s Eve was a reiteration of Türkiye’s commitment to long-standing causes and a new plan.
For Erdoğan, 2025 was a “year of significant developments, especially rising impact of wars and conflicts in the region,” but the president underlined how Türkiye steered its way through a brighter future with "trustworthy cadres running the country.”
Apart from his pledges for improving Türkiye’s economy, Erdoğan’s message issued on Wednesday concentrated on Gaza, the terror-free Türkiye and Blue Homeland, a doctrine for the defense of Türkiye’s maritime rights in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
A staunch advocate of the Palestinian cause, Erdoğan praised “Gazan brothers and sisters acting with common sense” in the face of Israel’s violations of the ongoing cease-fire secured with Türkiye’s efforts. “We are working hard to stop Israel’s attacks, accelerating access of humanitarian aid to Gaza and for the commencement of rebuilding of Gaza. We will not be intimidated, we will not remain silent and will always make the genocide remembered, until those who martyred our 71,000 brothers and sisters, mostly women and children, are held accountable for their actions,” Erdoğan stated.
Erdoğan also said Ankara is closely monitoring rising provocations and threats to Türkiye's interests and those of the Turkish Cypriot people in the Eastern Mediterranean. “We won’t allow fait accompli, piracy in the Blue Homeland,” the president said.
Türkiye has recently lambasted a looming alliance between Greece, Israel and the Greek Cypriot administration. Remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which implied the alliance was against Türkiye, were particularly outrageous for Ankara. As he stood next to leaders of the Greek Cypriot administration and Greece, two historic foes of Türkiye, which occasionally extend an olive branch to Ankara, Netanyahu asserted a renewed alliance of the three. Netanyahu accused Türkiye of "fantasizing" about a return to the times of the Ottomans, which once reigned in the lands of modern-day Cyprus, Greece and Israel.
The country is at odds with Greek Cypriots and Greece over its rights in the Blue Homeland as the dispute over maritime jurisdiction, a key issue for hydrocarbon exploration and defense, remains unresolved.
Emphasizing that they will never forsake not only their own people but any brother or sister who looks to Türkiye, Erdoğan said: "The reflections of our politics, centered on rights, justice and conscience, are visible across our region, especially in Syria and Gaza."
In neighboring Syria, which regained its freedom with the December 2024 revolution, recovery has accelerated and significant progress toward political stability has been made in a short time, he said.
"As peace becomes more firmly established in Syria, voluntary returns have increased," Erdoğan said, noting that over the past year, 600,000 Syrians have returned to their own country from Türkiye, where millions sought shelter during the long civil war.
"We believe that a strong Syria, having secured its political unity and territorial integrity, will make exceptional contributions both to its surroundings and to the world," Erdoğan added.
He said Türkiye will continue to support Syria's new administration to ensure security and stability for all Syrians, stressing the absence of any discrimination based on ethnicity or sect, including Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, Sunnis, Shiites and Alawites.
Erdoğan also said Türkiye is continuing its initiatives to end the Russia-Ukraine war, which is close to entering its fifth year, as soon as possible through a just and lasting peace.
He said he hopes the new year brings prosperity to the country, the nation and all of humanity, commemorated Turkish security and military personnel who gave their lives fighting terrorism, organized crime and other threats to the state, and expressed gratitude to veterans who made great sacrifices for the peace and security of Türkiye's 86 million citizens.
Erdoğan added that Türkiye is seeing positive results from its economic program, noting that the disinflation process is continuing and the Central Bank's reserves are strengthening, while production, investment, employment and exports are gaining momentum.
"We are breaking records in many fields, from tourism to the defense industry," Erdogan said, adding that a landmark social housing project of half a million units will help low-income citizens become homeowners and contribute to easing high housing and rental prices. He also said the government aims to crown this year's economic gains with reforms by gradually implementing the Century of Türkiye Reform Program with parliamentary support.
Erdoğan stressed that healing the damage caused by the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes, the "disaster of the century," was the government's top priority this year, stressing that cities had their infrastructure, public spaces and cultural fabric restored.
He noted that on Dec. 27, the keys to the 455,000th earthquake housing unit were handed over to beneficiaries in Hatay and said he hopes the new homes and workplaces bring good fortune to survivors.
The president thanked workers, institutions and philanthropists who contributed to postquake reconstruction efforts, and urged critics to visit disaster-hit cities to see the progress firsthand. He said the government would continue to fulfill its promises and not disappoint the people.
Pointing out that important thresholds have been crossed in the "terror-free Türkiye" process, which will open a brand-new chapter not only for the country but also for the region, Erdoğan said the People's Alliance has acted constructively and with a solution-oriented approach throughout the process, stressing that no effort has been spared to ensure its success.
"Our National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission will, God willing, soon finalize its concluding report, which we believe will give new momentum to the process," Erdoğan said, adding that the initiative aimed at ending a decadeslong problem must not be undermined by short-term political interests and that the government will do whatever is necessary to ensure its success.
Saying that for 23 years of Justice and Development (AK) Party rule, they have served all 86 million citizens with nothing but love for the nation and the homeland, Erdoğan said they would continue to work selflessly for the prosperity, peace, and well-being of all of Türkiye.
He added that the government will continue in 2026 to focus on action and tangible results rather than rhetoric, emphasizing projects and investments.
The president thanked those supporting the Century of Türkiye vision and extended bountiful New Year's wishes to Türkiye and its people, the region and all of humanity.
