President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his pleasure at reuniting with representatives of the Turkish-American community at the event hosted by TASC. He thanked TASC for their efforts in promoting Türkiye, its culture, and values to the American public and for protecting and advocating national interests through "citizen diplomacy."
Congratulating businesspeople and entrepreneurs who are a source of pride for Türkiye with their success in commercial and economic life, Erdoğan said: "Your unity and solidarity are of great importance in advancing the interests of the Turkish community at local and federal levels. The 'Turkish Day Parades' and festivals you organize across the United States contribute to introducing our country to our American friends. They also play an important role in passing on our national identity to our young people and future generations. You already understand the importance of our people living abroad preserving their beliefs and cultural values. Wherever they are, I always remind our citizens of the following: we fully support integration, but we are equally opposed to assimilation. We want our citizens to excel and succeed in every field and contribute to the society they live in. However, we do not want them to lose their identity, core values, and beliefs. While being part of the society you live in, never forget your own language, culture, and roots. I know the Turkish-American community is in a good position in this regard, and I am pleased about that."
Erdoğan emphasized that Türkiye is one of the leading countries fighting against terrorism both on the ground and at the negotiating table, adding:
"As the Turkish community in America, your support for our fight against terrorist organizations, especially FETÖ and the PKK, is very important. Members of these terrorist organizations target not only our national interests but also our citizens, businesses, and NGOs abroad, directly or indirectly. By deceiving American policymakers and business circles with lies, these organization members are trying to create divisions and conflicts within the Turkish community. I expect you to remain vigilant against those who volunteer for anti-Türkiye operations. We did not fall for their tricks before, and we will be very careful in the future as well. We will continue our legal struggle against these traitors, whose sole aim is to harm Türkiye and the Turkish nation, who attempted a coup against the will of the people, who have the blood of our citizens on their hands, and who threaten our democracy, peace, unity, and solidarity."
Erdoğan stressed that Islamophobia and xenophobia, especially in Europe, have become a major plague threatening the peace of Turkish citizens in Western countries in recent years.
"Almost every day, there is an arson attack on our mosques, prayer houses, or businesses owned by Muslims. Migrants and Muslims are the primary targets of far-right movements. Social media and some politicians are fueling the spread of racist hatred, pouring oil on the fire. We closely monitor far-right movements and hate speech in countries where our citizens live. We believe that, like racism, Islamophobia should be classified as a crime and subjected to legal sanctions."
Erdoğan mentioned that Türkiye, along with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, played a leading role in designating March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia by the United Nations General Assembly.
He said, "We led the decisions made by the United Nations Human Rights Council and the General Assembly regarding the despicable attacks on our holy book, the Quran, in Europe. All these initiatives have pressured Western countries to amend their legal and administrative regulations and develop new strategies to combat the far-right. The National Strategy Document Against Islamophobia, which began being prepared in the United States last November, is a beautiful example of this. We will continue to lead the fight against hostility towards Muslims."
Erdoğan highlighted that various interest groups continue to exert pressure on Congress against Türkiye.
He said, "You are the ones who know best the discomfort caused by such activities in the Turkish-American community. We must remain vigilant against those trying to poison the minds of our children and youth by filling school curricula with baseless slanders. Your unified and coordinated response to these hostile activities will help American politicians learn the historical truths. Issues that should be left to historians are being exploited for political gain by various lobbies, which benefits neither Turkish-American relations nor Türkiye's ongoing normalization efforts with Armenia. The war in Ukraine, now entering its third year, threatens regional and global stability. From the beginning, we have emphasized the need to prioritize diplomacy for lasting peace in the region. We view every drop of bloodshed and every day spent in conflict as a great loss. We continue our efforts with patience to achieve a just peace."
Erdoğan stated, "The global system has begun to lose all its effectiveness and credibility. Institutions tasked with ensuring peace and security are in a clear state of moral collapse. The massacre that has been ongoing in Gaza for 352 days has once again demonstrated this." Referring to the ongoing brutal genocide in Gaza, Erdoğan said, "30 years after Srebrenica, a highly brutal genocide is now taking place in Gaza before the eyes of the entire world. To date, 1.9 million people have been forced to leave their homes. These people are struggling to survive under terrible conditions with no infrastructure, making do with whatever they have left. While all these sufferings are being experienced, there has been no visible reaction from governments except for a few courageous people. Similarly, global institutions have not taken any effective steps to stop the massacres in Gaza or to halt Israel's atrocities."
Erdoğan noted that the Israeli government is rewarded for every illegal action it takes and thus resorts to even bloodier, more ruthless, and more inhumane attacks each time. "The genocide Israel is carrying out in Gaza and other Palestinian territories is also threatening the peace in our region. The recent attacks against Lebanon and Israel's latest statements are clear indications of efforts to spread the war across the region. As Türkiye, we are doing everything we can to stop these policies of occupation, invasion, and massacre, and we will continue to do so. We have not remained silent against any attack on the sanctity and historical status of our first qibla, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and we will not remain silent in the future." Erdoğan stated that he would emphasize to all leaders he meets in the United States the need to increase pressure on Zionist Israel to establish a lasting ceasefire in all forums.
"I must also point out that conscientious groups in New York and across many states in the United States have taken to the streets to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians and support their right to have their own state. We have followed with appreciation the activities you have organized in Washington, New York, Boston, and Chicago with Muslim Americans. I hope you will continue to show sensitivity on this issue. May God bless everyone who has been a voice for the oppressed Palestinians. I encourage you to strengthen your contact and cooperation with Muslim Americans and various groups in the United States. Particularly during times like these, it is crucial that we display a strong stance and solidarity. I emphasize once again that the Turkish-American community must unite on common ground and be inclusive rather than divisive to ensure the best and most effective representation in all areas. Please remember that our representatives in America and our institutions in Türkiye are always with you. We will continue to support you in the fields of economy, trade, civil society, and other areas."
