President Erdogan reaffirms to build 'prosperous, strong' Türkiye

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday reaffirmed his commitment to working for a "prosperous and strong" Türkiye.

"We will fulfill our promise to our nation by building a prosperous, reputable, strong, and peaceful Türkiye in every aspect during the mastery period of our presidency," Erdogan said at an event marking the 22nd anniversary of the Justice and Development (AK) Party's establishment.

Founded on Aug. 14, 2001, the party burst onto the political scene under the leadership of Erdogan, who became prime minister in 2003 and has served as president since 2014.

"With the motto 'Nothing will be the same anymore,' we are leaving behind another milestone on the blessed road we started 22 years ago," he said, stressing that the party embraces all 85 million of Türkiye's citizens without discrimination.

During the May elections, the AK Party emerged as the main party in parliament, gaining 268 seats.

Turning to the upcoming 2024 local elections that will be held in March, Erdogan said the nation will protect the future in the same way that it did in the May elections.

Urging AK Party members to work hard, the president said: "After 7 months, are we ready to run for victory in local elections, especially in Istanbul and Ankara?"