President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday reiterated Türkiye’s commitment to fighting the cost-of-living crisis as well as consistent support of Palestine and his country's earthquake-stricken 11 provinces in his message for Eid al-Fitr, also known as Ramadan Bayram.
“Due to the war in Gaza, as well as various afflictions across Türkiye, we’re welcoming Eid al-Fitr in a little sour atmosphere,” Erdoğan said in a video message.
Lamenting that the war on Gaza has become a “bleeding wound not only in our hearts but in the conscience of all humanity” since Oct. 7, he said he wishes for Eid to bring “peace and serenity for our country, Muslim world and all humanity.”
"Türkiye has shown that we stand by the Palestinian people in these difficult times with the aid material we have sent to the region, exceeding 45,000 tons in total," Erdoğan said.
"We will continue our support to our Palestinian brothers and sisters until the bloodshed in Gaza stops and they live in a free Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of the 1967 borders."
The president also blasted Israel for its aggression against the war-stricken Gaza Strip, which has been under illegal Israeli blockade for 17 years now and months of a relentless Israeli attack, killing tens of thousands of people, most of them women and children.
"Since Oct. 7, we have faced scenes of brutality in which hospitals, schools, churches and mosques, which should not be targeted even in war, were deliberately bombed," he said.
Mentioning how 33,000 Palestinians have been killed so far by Israel while over 75,000 have been injured in Israeli attacks, Erdoğan also wished Allah's mercy to those who lost their lives and a speedy recovery to the injured.
The Israeli war, now in its sixth month, has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the U.N.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in January issued an interim ruling ordering Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
Turning from foreign policy to the domestic agenda, Erdoğan stressed that his government “never once neglected the earthquake zone.”
On Feb. 6 last year, twin earthquakes measuring 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude struck numerous Turkish provinces, including Hatay, in particular, claiming over 53,000 lives. The quakes affected around 14 million people in Türkiye and many thousands of others in northern Syria. Reconstruction efforts have since been nonstop in the region.
“We are quickly recovering from the disaster of the century by displaying the unity of the century,” Erdoğan said.
Noting that the government has delivered 80,000 housing units to right-owners across 11 provinces, he assured that the number would reach 200,000 by the end of 2024 by building 15-20,000 homes every month.
“We’re also working to make our cities highly stocked with risky buildings sturdier in the meantime,” Erdoğan added.
As for the cost-of-living crisis and high inflation that has gripped Türkiye in recent years, the president reiterated Ankara's determination to “resolve this sensitive issue that hurts us and the rest of the world.”
Erdoğan strictly adhered to the economic plan he installed after last year’s general elections. His economy team, led by Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, has been working to rein in rampant inflation – currently at 68.5% – and the devaluation of Turkish lira over the past year.
“We will begin to see the positive impacts of our economy program more clearly starting from the second half of the year,” Erdoğan said. “With the March 31 local elections out of the way, we will utilize these next four election-free years to achieve these goals and realize our 'Century of Türkiye' vision.”
“I request our nation to use the spiritual climate of the Eid holiday to resolve resentments,” he added. "May Ramadan Bayram bring peace to our hearts, welfare to our country, and peace to our world and oppressed regions.”
