The fight against Daesh is growing stronger and more determined than before, with the roots of all terrorism in the region being eradicated, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Saturday.
Speaking at a mass opening ceremony in Türkiye that included a housing key handover, a city hospital and other completed investments, Erdoğan said the global system established after World War II is “fundamentally cracking,” adding that regions once considered comfortable are now facing harsh realities.
Referring to debates over the world order at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Erdoğan said Türkiye’s long-voiced criticisms are now being echoed in the Western world. “Those who once criticized us mercilessly are today acknowledging that we were right,” he said.
Erdoğan said a similar reckoning has taken place in neighboring Syria, noting that Türkiye was heavily criticized for more than 13 years for standing by Syrians facing oppression.
“What happened in the end? The oppressive regime in Syria collapsed. Oppression ended. A government that is a very close friend of Türkiye came to power,” he said.
He added that Syria is now rapidly recovering and that security and stability are being reestablished after nearly 14 years of conflict.
Erdoğan said the struggle against the terrorist group Daesh has become even stronger and more resolute, stressing that the roots of all forms of terrorism are being eliminated. “Terrorist organizations are being removed from the areas they occupied. Terror will also end in northern Syria,” he said.
Saying Türkiye is now reaping the rewards of standing on “the right side of history,” Erdoğan pointed to cultural and social ties in the region, noting that millions speak Turkish in cities such as Aleppo and Hama.
In both domestic and foreign policy, Erdoğan said, Türkiye acts only after carefully calculating every step. “Türkiye is governed by capable cadres,” he added.
