President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at a commemoration ceremony for Atatürk on the 86th anniversary of his passing.
"We respectfully remember the founder of our Republic, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, on the 86th anniversary of his passing. I pray for mercy on the souls of our martyrs, veterans, and heroes who gave their lives to make this land our homeland, from Malazgirt to the present day."
"Any action aimed at disrupting the unity and solidarity of this nation is a betrayal to Gazi Mustafa Kemal. Türkiye has suffered greatly from the so-called 'closet Atatürkists.' Social media Atatürkists are acting against Türkiye. Those who exploit Atatürk have recently gone as far as walking hand-in-hand with terrorist organizations and their extensions. This group, serving the imperialist agendas against our country under the mask of Atatürkism, will be left for the judgment of our nation. We have never and will never abandon Atatürk or the institutions, values, and goals of the Republic to these exploiters, these rootless ideologues."
"Those who completely disregard Atatürk will not shake his place in our hearts. Debating what Atatürk did or did not achieve is the job of conscientious scholars in their respective fields. The most concrete expression of preserving the Republic and Gazi's memory is through the service and achievements you bring to this country. If Atatürk had had another ten years to lead the country, we would have undoubtedly seen a very different Türkiye after the Second World War. Unfortunately, we missed that opportunity with his passing."
"On this blessed path, obstacles may arise, and traps may be set. In fact, throughout the history of the Republic, our nation has faced the same plot that served the same goal in every period. We have faced terrorist organizations, coup attempts, and a variety of threats. With God's help and the strong support of our nation, we have overcome all of them. You are the ones who know best whose legacy lives on and who is just making empty promises. We will break the 40-year-old terror plot aimed at our country's political and economic roadmap. In the coming period, we will complete the missing parts of the safe zones we have established along our borders and cut off all connections between terrorist organizations and our borders. Operations to eliminate the separatist terrorist organization as a threat to our country will continue. We will use all our resources to the fullest. With the political stability we have achieved, we will ensure that our state and our people, 85 million strong, beat as one heart. We will unite around common ideals and rules."
