President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the nation after the cabinet meeting held at the Presidential Complex and lasted 2.5 hours. President Erdoğan briefly said the following in his speech:

TERRORISM-FREE TURKEY WILL REACH ITS RANGE: On February 19, when we said “hello” to the month of Ramadan, we had our first iftar with the families of our martyrs, as always. Our martyrs’ relatives; The call to prayer is entrusted to us by our beloved martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their flag, homeland and nation. He acts extremely meticulously and sensitively in order to properly protect these trusts; We do not allow any initiative that will hurt the souls of our martyrs or upset our veterans and martyrs’ families. Our beloved nation, together with the relatives of our martyrs, supports the terror-free Türkiye process that we are carrying out to end terrorism permanently. Despite those who feed on terrorism and profit from terrorism, the process is progressing with firm steps towards its goal. We will hopefully carry this process to its fullest extent by staying within the legitimate limits and showing utmost respect to our nation’s sensitivities.

WE STRIVE FOR A SOLUTION: At a time when tensions are escalating at the global level, as Türkiye, we strive to resolve crises before they turn into hot conflict, with our policy centering on peace, dialogue and negotiation. We want peace not only for ourselves but for all our brothers and sisters; We are working hard to build a region where everyone will live in peace. Without forgetting that we are members of a nation that is great with its history, great with its conscience, and great with its epics written on battlefields when necessary, we defend the right, defend justice, and speak the truth courageously, without fearing anyone, wherever we are in the world. Our country’s upright stance in the face of events, its courageous, brave, sincere and principled stance is admired by everyone. Türkiye; It is increasingly strengthening its role as a central country whose opinions are valued, whose discourses are taken into account, and whose contribution is sought in solving problems. Today, when severe earthquakes are experienced in the world system, Türkiye’s sole aim is to increase the number of its friends and gain new friends. We are not trying to create hostility from disagreements. We are not planning to escalate the disputes or deepen the problems. A Turkish wind is blowing in the world right now. One wonders what Türkiye thinks, what it does, where it stands in the face of new developments, and what steps it will take.

RAMADAN IN THE COMPLEX: We are continuing the “Ramadan in the Complex” program, which we started last year and which has received great demand from our nation, this year as well. Our friends have prepared a full program that will attract the attention of people of all ages, from book stands to children’s activities, from conferences to concerts, and will especially add excitement to our children’s excitement. Especially on weekends, parents; I invite them to hold the hands of their children and grandchildren and participate in the events at our Complex.

FIGHT AGAINST ALL KINDS OF ADDICTIONS: We have carried out very important studies in the field of health. Currently across Türkiye; We have 8 thousand 310 Family Health Centers, 335 Healthy Life Centers and 973 Community Health Centers. In the last year alone, we opened 302 Family Health Centers and 71 Healthy Life Centers. We included a total of 1202 primary health care facilities in our investment program. We provide service to our people through our 30 thousand family physicians in primary care. In 2025, a total of more than 1 billion 24 million examinations were performed in our health facilities across our country. Approximately 450 million of these are Family Health; 21 million of them were carried out in Healthy Life Centers. We take an uncompromising stance in the fight against smoking, which is the main cause of many diseases, especially lung cancer. With the 784 new units we opened, we increased the number of smoking cessation clinics to 1349. We will continue our fight against all kinds of addictions that threaten the health of our people with the same determination.

AID TO GAZA

Our AFAD, Red Crescent, Turkish Religious Foundation and other institutions lend a hand to those in need in our country; and delivers aid to the oppressed abroad, especially in Gaza. With our program “My new home, my first iftar” in the earthquake zone, we share the joy of iftar with our earthquake-affected brothers and sisters who settled in their homes. In line with the circular of our Ministry, beautiful events are organized in our schools on a voluntary basis. I kiss the foreheads of all our children, one by one, as they run around happily in the school gardens and turn our mosques into flower fields with their bright eyes and smiling faces.

OUR UNIVERSITIES ARE LIBERATED

Universities established with the resources of the nation are not the “liberated zone” of any marginal ideology. Universities; It belongs to the children of 86 million, it belongs to the people. Universities; It belongs to the poor shepherds, farmers, doormen, tradesmen, workers, construction masters and their children, as well as to the rich and elite. The dark times when persuasion rooms were set up at the entrance gate, young girls were not allowed in because of their attire, vocational high schools were blocked due to coefficient tyranny, and monophony and uniformitarian impositions dominated, are now completely behind us, and our universities have become liberated. As a result of fierce struggles, universities ceased to be someone’s private property and were returned to their original owners, and their public ownership was confirmed and registered. With God’s permission, there will be no turning back from this. We will not bow to the impositions of the despotic and arrogant mentality that sees our universities as their father’s property and their “backyard”. We will continue to work to ensure that our universities are remembered for their qualified contributions to science and science, not for actions, fights or pressures.

Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Brazil, Denmark, Indonesia, France, Palestine, Finland, Spain, Sweden, Ireland, Iceland, Qatar, Luxembourg, Egypt, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Secretaries General of the Arab League and OIC made a joint written statement about Israel’s unlawful decisions regarding the West Bank. The statement said, “We condemn in the strongest terms a series of recent decisions taken by Israel that comprehensively expand its unlawful control over the West Bank. These changes are far-reaching, reclassifying Palestinian lands as Israel’s so-called ‘state land’, accelerating illegal settlement activities and further deepening Israeli rule.”

‘WE REVERSE OUR UNSHAKEN COMMITMENT TO ACHIEVING PEACE’

The following statements were included in the written statement:

“We have a clear view that Israel’s illegal settlements and its decisions aimed at advancing them are a blatant violation of international law, including previous resolutions of the United Nations (UN) Security Council and the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice in 2024. These latest decisions are part of a clear trend aimed at changing the reality on the ground and advancing unacceptable de facto annexation. We also have ongoing efforts towards peace and stability in the region, including the 20-Point Plan for Gaza.” We call on the Israeli Government to immediately reverse these decisions, comply with its international obligations and refrain from taking steps that would lead to permanent changes in the legal and administrative status of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In this context, such actions are a deliberate and direct attack on the viability of the State of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution. We reiterate that we reject all measures aimed at changing the demographic structure, character and status of the Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, which have been occupied since 1967. In the face of the alarming escalation in the West Bank, we reiterate our determination to take concrete steps in accordance with international law against the expansion of illegal settlements in Palestinian territories, policies of forced displacement and threats of annexation. We recognize the special role of the historical Hashemite patronage and emphasize the importance of preserving the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and the holy sites of Jerusalem during the holy month of Ramadan. Ministers call on Israel to immediately release the withheld tax revenues belonging to the Palestinian Authority, which should be transferred to the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. “We reiterate our unwavering commitment to achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace based on a two-state solution in the Middle East, on the basis of the borders of June 4, 1967, and in line with the relevant UN resolutions. As stated in the New York Declaration, ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential for regional peace, stability and integration. Coexistence between the peoples and states of the region will only be possible with the realization of an independent, sovereign and democratic State of Palestine.”

Efforts are continuing to find the wreckage of the Fokker F-28 type aircraft named ‘Bursa’ belonging to Turkish Airlines (THY), which crashed into the Sea of ​​Marmara on January 30, 1975, killing 42 people and whose wreckage has not been found since then. Virtual media celebrity Nedim Kuru and his team carried out underwater SONAR and bottom scanning in Marmara Sea for the 5th time today, around Büyükçekmece and Ambarlı. During the scans, aluminum parts thought to belong to the plane were seen. On the other hand, Nedim Kuru applied to the Governorship of Istanbul to build a mausoleum in the Marmara Sea.

PREVIOUSLY SEARCH EFFORTS WERE LIMITED

Among those who lost their lives in the accident were coach Fatih Terim’s father-in-law Kamuran Aksu and singer Seyyal Taner’s stewardess sister. Due to the technological inadequacies of the period, the wreckage could not be officially removed and search efforts were limited.

‘5 HOURS OF SEARCH WAS DONE, WE DISPLAYED NEW PARTS’

Providing information about the work he carried out with an underwater drone under the Marmara Sea for the 5th time, Nedim Kuru said, “We carried out our 5th diving operation on the crashed THY passenger plane named ‘Bursa’, which crashed with 42 passengers. We searched the wreckage area where the plane crashed for 7 hours with an underwater drone and imaged other parts of the plane wreckage. Among the images, we detected aluminum parts that we think belong to the plane.”

With the organization and coordination of AK Party municipalities, regular iftar tables will be set up every day during Ramadan in the Balkans, Syria and Gaza. It is aimed to deliver hot meals to millions of people with abundance tables, to meet their basic food needs and to experience the spiritual atmosphere of Ramadan together with sister communities.

AK Party Deputy Chairman and Local Governments Chairman Mustafa Demir announced that the unity, solidarity and brotherhood spirit of Ramadan will go beyond borders and move to the geography of the heart this year as well. Particularly drawing attention to the severe humanitarian situation in Gaza, Mustafa Demir emphasized that civilians struggling to survive under attacks will not be left alone under any circumstances. Demir stated that the scope of iftar and sahur programs established throughout Türkiye during the month of Ramadan will be further expanded, and that this circle of solidarity will be expanded to include Syria and Gaza.

‘WE CARRY OUR HEART TABLES TO OUR HEART GEOGRAPHY’

Demir used the following statements in his statement:

“As AK Party municipalities, we carry the tables we set all over Türkiye to our heartland. In this context, along with the iftar programs organized by Konya in Damascus Center, Erzurum in Latakia, Gaziantep in Aleppo Center and Çorum in Rif Damascus Yarmuk, Sultanbeyli in Bosnia-Herzegovina, many of our municipalities also organize iftar programs during Ramadan in Syria and We are setting up tables of abundance and tables of love through our municipalities in Gaza. We are also setting up iftar tents in the Balkans, in Bulgaria, Greece and North Macedonia. Our Municipalities of Trabzon and Rize are setting up iftar tables in Batumi. We have started a mobilization to keep the spirit of unity, solidarity and solidarity of Ramadan alive, especially in Gaza, the land of the oppressed, which has been subjected to systematic genocide by Israel. “We are setting up iftar tables. These heartfelt tables, which we will prepare under the instructions of our President, will form the strongest foundations of our bridge of brotherhood that extends to the future.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addresses the citizens after the Cabinet Meeting.

AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik used the following statements in his post on his social media account:

“Israel has no rights or sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories or other occupied Arab territories.

Any threat by Israel to the sovereignty of friendly and brotherly Arab States is illegitimate.

“IT IS AN ACTIVITY OF SPATIAL GENOCIDE”

Israel’s attempts to annex the West Bank or separate it from the Gaza Strip constitute an act of “spatial genocide.” The expansion of settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian lands is a clear attack.

The support of the US Ambassador to Israel for the killing of children in Gaza by the Netanyahu government is an inhumane and terrible approach. This Ambassador’s advocacy of the “Greater Israel” project, which aims to usurp the lands of some Arab states with a theo-political approach, is against the most basic legal principles and human values. Attempting to substitute theological-fanatic claims for international law would have dire consequences throughout the region. We radically reject and condemn in the strongest terms this approach that threatens sister states by defending Israel’s dominance in the Middle East.

Our President has repeatedly asked from the rostrum of the United Nations: “What are the borders of Israel?” By asking, he has been warning the whole world for years against the insidious plans of this aggressive and invasive mentality. Every development that has taken place has revealed how justified the warnings our President has been making for years from the UN rostrum in front of the eyes of the whole world were.

“GENOCIDE IS PART OF THE POLITICS…”

Advocating the killing of children is murder and genocide. Occupying the homes and homelands of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank is part of the policy of genocide. These are an attack on all human values.

We know that the fight against this mentality is a fight for humanity. Resisting this barbarism is the first step of what needs to be done both humanly and politically. We will continue to defend the sovereign and united State of Palestine, based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and to fight genocidal enemies of humanity.