President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at a meeting with NGO and sector representatives in Rize. Pointing to the developments in Türkiye’s environ, President Erdoğan said: “As a nation, we wake up almost every day to a new crisis developing in our region. Russia and Ukraine are our two neighbors across the Black Sea. Unfortunately, the war between these two neighbors has been going on for 2.5 years.” “NO ONE HAS BENEFITED FROM THIS BLOODBATH EXCEPT THE WESTERN WAR BARONS” Noting that thousands of people were killed, cities destroyed and children orphaned in the Russia-Ukraine war, President Erdoğan said: “No one has benefited from this bloodbath except the Western war barons. They are still adding fuel to the fire and doing their best to fan the flames. We are working for the restoration of peace and stability. We have always done this from the first day. We have always endeavored for this. We have prevented this fire from spreading to the Black Sea by acting fairly and following a balanced policy between our two neighbors.” “WE HAVE TAKEN ACTION FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN GAZA AND PALESTINE WITHOUT HESITATION” Emphasizing that those, who criticized, even provoked Türkiye when the conflicts started, now acknowledge that Türkiye is right, President Erdoğan said: “The same goes for our brothers and sisters in Gaza who are being subjected to genocide. Since October 7, Türkiye has become the conscience of humanity by standing against oppression. We have taken action for our brothers and sisters in Gaza and Palestine without hesitation, without mincing our words or caring who said what. In terms of humanitarian aid, we are the country that sent the largest amount of aid to Gaza. In all international meetings we participated in, we brought up the massacres committed by Israel in Gaza.” Pointing out that the Western world has failed miserably in this process and that they have sided with Israel at the expense of violating the values they claim to advocate, President Erdoğan said: “The other day, we all watched those disgraceful scenes in the US House of Representatives. Frankly speaking, we were ashamed of what we have seen there in the name of humanity. When we thought of the people waiting in line for food, the children shot while sleeping in their tents, the babies killed in hospital incubators, we truly felt a great embarrassment. Once again, we witnessed that immutable truth, as aptly put by Mehmet Akif; ‘That monster you call civilization that has only one tooth left’. Let me say this clearly here; Rolling out the red carpet for someone like Netanyahu, going even further and applauding his lies until their palms swell, is a major abdication of reason for America.” Stating that some political parties in Türkiye say, “The government should invite the President of Palestine to Türkiye and let him speak in the Parliament,” President Erdoğan said: “Who tells you that we did not invite him? Mr. Abbas, who did not come even though we invited him, should apologize to us first. We invited him but he did not come. We are waiting, let's see if he can come. He may or may not come, but we are already saying what needs to be said on behalf of the Palestinian people and our Palestinian brothers and sisters everywhere, in every meeting.” “TÜRKİYE MUST BE STRONG, DETERRENT AND SELF-SUFFICIENT IN EVERY FIELD” Emphasizing that no one who has an ounce of humanity in his heart can legitimize such an unconscionable act, President Erdoğan said: “When we see those who applaud the murderer of 40 thousand innocent people, we are worried not only for humanity but also for our own future. Who can guarantee that those who destroyed Gaza today will not set their dirty eyes on Anatolia tomorrow?” “Who can claim that those who remain silent about the massacre in Gaza today will react when the same happens to other countries? That is why we always say that Türkiye must be strong, deterrent and self-sufficient in every field,” President Erdoğan said.