Addressing the public from Cumhuriyet Square in the Nizip district of the southern province of Gaziantep, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan denounced any form of discrimination and stated, "I do not recognize a 'Kurdish Problem,' however I do acknowledge a problem suffered by my Kurdish brothers."
Erdoğan spent the evening in Gaziantep and then yesterday morning attended an opening of a Beşler Group feed factory in Gaziantep's organized industrial zone. Later, Prime Minister Erdoğan addressed the public from atop the Prime Ministry bus in the Cumhuriyet Square in Nizip, after which he went on to pay a visit to the refugee camps housing Syrian nationals.
During his speech, Prime Minister Erdoğan stressed his rejection of any form of ethnic discrimination in relaying the following messages:
"We have never had discrimination and we never will. We have gathered under the roof of citizenship of the Turkish Republic and we will continue on this path.
We said one nation, one flag and one homeland. This homeland is that of the Kurds, the Turks, the Laz, the Circassian, the Zaza, Romans and Arabs, it is all of ours. Some are unable to settle down. If it is an office you want, there's an office, if it is to be deputy, then be deputy, you are able to enter the parliament, you are even able to be president. What is it that you want?
They keep on saying one thing, 'the Kurdish problem'. Well, I do not recognize a Kurdish problem. However, I do acknowledge a problem suffered by my Kurdish brothers. I say yes to my Kurdish brothers' problem and no to Kurdism. I love my Kurdish brothers, but I reject Kurdism.
That is because we have said 'no' to politics of rejection, and 'no' to politics of denial. We have said 'no' to assimilation and have loved all those created even beyond the creator. We are a single state. We say 'no' to ethnic nationalism, 'no' to regional nationalism and 'no' to religious nationalism.
We are this nation's insurance of unity, togetherness and solidarity. Those who feign to be this country's neo-nationalists have tried to block our path yet were unable to. Those who are candidates to be extensions of those neo-nationalists should not expect anything from us, they won't find it."
THE 'SYRIAN CONQUEST' IS SOON
Erdoğan, who in addition to addressing the public in Nizip also paid a visit to the camp set up in the region for Syrian refugees, said that Assad's downfall would sooner or later be inevitable. "Don't forget, 'those who are patient will be victorious', stated Erdoğan who went on to deliver the following messages while emphasizing his pride in the Syrian resistance.
"The Syrian public is longing to live a humane and peaceful life under any condition. To treat those who long for this as terrorists is an absolutely inexplicable approach. That is why this is a regime that is cursed.
Don't worry; no one can be prosperous through persecution. The conquest is near for the Syrian public, I can see this. Do not worry whatsoever. They just showed me the photograph of a child who has lost their right foot. Could a murderer such as this, a tyrant remain in power? He will not and he will go.
You are in your brothers' nation and therefore in your own homes. We are proud to be sharing our bread, tents and blankets with you. Your righteous struggle will reach a victory today or tomorrow, and maybe even sooner than that. Remember, 'those who are patient will be victorious."
Erdoğan was also originally scheduled to visit the refugee camp in Islahiye, however due to adverse weather conditions, he was unable to fly to the district. The Prime Minister did have the chance however to participate in a ring-exchanging engagement ceremony at the Syrian refugee camp he visited in Nizip.
This is a translation of an article originally written by Yahya Bostan.