President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made important statements to members of the press on the plane returning from his visit to Ethiopia and answered questions about the agenda.

Evaluating his visit to Ethiopia after 11 years, President Erdoğan used the following statements:

“WE MENTIONED THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASING TURKISH INVESTMENTS”

“Dear members of the press, dear friends; We have completed our one-day visit to Addis Ababa, upon the invitation of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mr. Abiy Ahmed. I was very pleased to visit Ethiopia, one of the leading states of Africa, after an interval of approximately 11 years. First of all, I would like to thank the Prime Minister and the Ethiopian authorities for their warm welcome and hospitality. In our meetings, we discussed trade, investments, defense industry, especially energy, transportation and many other topics. We discussed the necessary steps to reach our target of 1 billion dollars of trade volume. We signed documents in the fields of economy and energy. As you know, Ethiopia is an important connection center for flights in Africa. We, as Turkey, think that they can contribute to this project. Ethiopia is the largest country in the region with a deep-rooted state tradition and a population of 130 million. Addis Ababa, which hosts the United Nations organizations, including the United Nations, is called the diplomatic capital of the African continent. The opening of our oldest embassy in Sub-Saharan Africa in Addis Ababa shows that our Republic has placed this ancient city at the heart of our relations with the African continent. Just before our visit, they hosted an extremely important meeting such as the African Union Summit. The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will be held in Addis Ababa again next year. Hopefully, we will share our experiences with our Ethiopian brothers at the Conference of the Parties that we will hold in November. Therefore, if we want to evaluate the potential in Africa, one of the ways to do this is undoubtedly through Ethiopia. As you will remember from the Ankara Process, we have strengthened the trust between Ethiopia and Somalia with the Ankara Declaration adopted in December 2024. We have accomplished good things together, and hopefully we will do so in the future.

“I HOPE OUR CONTACTS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE PEACE AND STABILITY OF THE ENTIRE REGION”

Dear friends; We also see our visit to Addis Ababa as a manifestation of our partnership policy towards the African continent. We shared this approach with the President of the African Union Commission, Mahmut Ali Yusuf, today. We talked to him about the issues related to the continent and our 4th Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit, which we will organize in the coming period with the contribution of the organization. Finally, I would like to say this. It was also meaningful to visit the hometown of King Negus on the eve of Ramadan. On this occasion, I am also happy to personally convey my congratulations to our Ethiopian Muslim brothers. “I believe that we will get the beneficial results of our visit to Ethiopia as soon as possible, and I hope that our contacts today will contribute to the peace and stability of the entire region.”

President Erdoğan’s answers to journalists’ questions are as follows:

“OUR WORDS AND OUR VOICE ARE NOW MUCH STRONGER”

We see that Türkiye has been struggling seriously for years, both at the table and in the field, for the peace and integrity of many countries in Africa, as well as in the Middle East. Is Türkiye capable of establishing this in both Africa and the Middle East? Are there any other countries that support Türkiye in this fight?

As a nation, we have never been colonialists at any time in our history. We saw the people in Africa as our brothers and friends. This spotless record of ours is the basis of why all eyes are turning to our country on the continent today. Mutual respect and equal partnership are the basis, the compass, the immutable principle of our African policy. We did not and do not look at the issues in Africa from a self-interested or partisan perspective. This perspective towards our country is also effective in the success of our humanitarian diplomacy and peace diplomacy steps. We know that peace will be established not with words, but with will, and we take steps accordingly. Is Türkiye capable of establishing such peace? He is able, God willing, no one should doubt that. Thank goodness we are not alone. Both our words and our voices are much stronger now.

Africa was a geography that was neglected for many years. During your period, embassies were opened in Africa, there are serious investments and services. What is your goal in this African policy?

We strive to improve our relations with Africa and further our cooperation in all areas, especially trade and investments. As you know, we increased the number of embassies on the continent to 44. When we took over the power, this number was 12. The embassies of 38 African countries are currently operating in Ankara. Turkish contractors have undertaken more than 2 thousand projects in Africa with a total value of 100 billion dollars. The market value of our investments across the continent exceeded 15 billion dollars. In 2025, our foreign trade volume with the continent will increase by 10 percent, approaching 35 billion dollars. Tens of thousands of students from different corners of the continent are currently studying at Turkish universities. Türkiye graduates take on active roles in every field from politics to business, from academia to civil society in many African countries.

“Hopefully the TERRORIST PROBLEM WILL BE REMOVED FROM OUR AGENDA FOREVER”

The compromise reached between the so-called “SDF” and the Syrian administration shows that an important handicap has been overcome in the “Terror-Free Türkiye” process. The commission phase has been completed. It seems that now there are legal regulations and practices that will involve the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Can we say that the process will accelerate from now on? What will Türkiye see next?

We are moving towards our goal of a “Terror-free Türkiye” with careful yet determined, cautious yet firm steps. We set out to do a good job and hopefully we will achieve it. This strong will in our country has now spread to Syria. There are pleasing developments that support our ideal of a terror-free zone. This also makes us happy. We follow the steps regarding full integration, moment by moment. We make the necessary suggestions for the implementation of the agreement. Syrian President Ahmed Shara continues his journey in Syria with truly confident steps. I have also often emphasized that the fight against terrorism is not just a matter of security. We also constantly address the legal and social dimensions of the issue. Right now, we are keeping this job very tight, both with our Speaker of the Parliament and with our friends in the commission. Alhamdulillah, we are walking on this path with patience, wisdom and determination. At the end of this path, I hope the terrorism problem that has harmed our country for years will be removed from our agenda forever.

“As Türkiye, WE CONDUCTED TO ALL OUR INTERVIEWS THAT WE ARE OPPOSED TO MILITARY INTERVENTION AGAINST IRAN”

We know about Türkiye’s mediation efforts regarding Iran. You also maintain intense contacts. Our esteemed Minister of Foreign Affairs is the same way… There were some meetings in Geneva today. I guess you followed the explanations that came out of there. Do you think the Iran issue is closer to war or peace? How do you see the latest situation?

We want the problems between Iran and the USA to be resolved through dialogue. We are in contact with both countries at the highest level. Both countries are at this point. That’s the last time I met with the President of Iran. The very next day, I also had my meeting with US President Trump. In all these meetings, we talked about how we could proceed. We are a country that builds bridges and paves the way for peace, not a country that builds walls or fuels conflicts. A new war targeting Iran will not gain anything for anyone, on the contrary, our region will lose. We continue to be on the side of peace and approach the issue with positive wishes. As Türkiye, we conveyed to all our interlocutors that we are against military intervention against Iran. We will continue to explain that such a military escalation and rising tension will drag our region into further uncertainty. As long as the door of diplomacy is open, there is hope. We will protect and strengthen this hope.

SABAH had revealed a big scandal before the rally called “We Stand Up to the Will of the Nation, We Do Not Give Our Olives, Air, Water, and Land”, held by CHP Chairman Özgür Özel on February 15, in the Milas district of Muğla, in order to protect the so-called olive trees. It was revealed that CHP Milas District Chairman Ahmet Kılbey cut down 27 olive trees, each of which was at least 100 years old, on a land in the district. In the footage, it was seen that centuries-old olive trees were being slaughtered with construction equipment.

HE MURDERED THE OLIVES, HE RESIGNED

It was revealed that 27 olive trees, each of which were at least 100 years old, were slaughtered on February 12, on a 3-decare land, which was an olive field, located in Dipsarnıç, Menteş District, Milas. After Muğla Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry and Milas District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry teams kept a report, it was determined that the land in question belonged to CHP Milas District Chairman Ahmet Kılbey. While Kılbey said that he transferred the land to his son-in-law Cenk Soydan on December 29, 2025, on February 13, Kılbey was fined 49 thousand 15 TL for removing 27 olive trees on the property, which is an olive field, without permission. It was claimed that Kılbey intended to build on the land. After the scandal emerged, CHP Milas District Chairman Ahmet Kılbey resigned from his post yesterday, before Özgür Özel’s rally. In the statement made by CHP Muğla Provincial Directorate, it was stated that “Our party’s vision and strong stance in the locality is an unshakable whole that is always above personal opinions. In this regard, our Milas District Chairman resigned from his post in order to prevent any damage to our determined march under the leadership of our Chairman and the disciplined stance of our organization in the light of recent developments.”

HIS SON-IN-LAW WAS ALSO DISMISSED

After SABAH revealed the scandal, an important development took place in Milas Municipality. Milas Municipality License and Inspection Manager Cenk Soydan, Kılbey’s son-in-law, was dismissed after discussions about olive trees. It was learned that Soydan was assigned to the Technical Affairs unit within the municipality.

THE GROOM’S FAMILY RESIGNED FROM CHP

Cenk Soydan’s retired parents rebelled against his dismissal. Making a statement on the social media account named Cengiz Betül Soydan, Soydan’s mother, Betül Soydan, called out to Özgür Özel and demanded the cancellation of his CHP membership.

The family used the following statements in their statement: “This is my announcement to the Republican People’s Party and all political parties, to the People of Milas. My dear leader, I am writing to you from Muğla Milas to express my grievance. I appreciate you very much. Your personality and humanity are proven by the appreciation of the Turkish people. As you know, I would like to express my grievance regarding the olive cutting incident, which you became aware of when you came to Milas for a rally on Sunday. I am the father of Cenk Soydan, who works in Milas Municipality.” I am his mother and I am also a member of the party based on a very old history. My wife, Pharmacist Cengiz Soydan, and my son, Ahmet Kılbey, have been serving in the TC Milas Municipality since 2010 with their honesty, humanity and meticulousness towards their work, but they have become part of the conspiracy with the immaturity that they do not deserve. I would also like you to ask the whole municipality about Cenk Soydan. What kind of personality is he? I want you to investigate. My son Cenk Soydan has been dismissed from his position as a director, we don’t care about his fame and position. Our grievance is that the son of a father who has 24 carats of gold bullion is made into 8 carats, making headlines everywhere and damaging our honor and pride. You can ask anyone. He is the son of Pharmacist Cengiz Soydan, the grandson of retired teacher Mehmet Emin Soydan from Çamköy. We are a family that wants to be remembered, but this disgrace has worn out the family so much. Although we love you very much, my wife and I request the cancellation of our membership from Cengiz Betül Soydan’s CHP People’s Party, as it is not something we can accept. I will send my application to the headquarters. If you know Cenk Soydan, you will agree with me, my son was victimized by the media. “I send my love to you. May God bless you and may your path always be bright,” he said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the governors’ meeting program held at the Presidential Complex. “The governorship is the reflection of the state on the field. The governor is the meeting point of the citizen and the state.” President Erdoğan stated that there should be no power poisoning in serving the nation. Erdoğan warned the governors about social media and said, “Scenes that do not suit the seriousness of our state are emerging… I believe that you will show the highest level of sensitivity on this issue.” he said.

“THOSE GOOD DAYS WHEN PEACE AND STABILITY WILL REign IN OUR REGION ARE VERY CLOSE”

Wishing that Ramadan would bring goodness for the nation, the world, Islam and all humanity, Erdoğan prayed to God that these holy days, when the doors of mercy were opened, would strengthen their unity and solidarity.

Erdoğan, who read Mehmet Akif Ersoy’s lines “O Lord, for the sake of this magnificent Ramadan, remove whatever is happening to unity; O Lord, may the Ummah not be crushed and fall from these centuries-long divisions” and said that they wholeheartedly said “amen” to Ersoy’s prayer.

Erdoğan, who sent messages of solidarity on behalf of himself and the country to the Gazans who did not compromise on their dignity and wisdom despite welcoming Ramadan in makeshift tents, continued his words as follows:

“I also and especially request every member of our nation not to forget the Palestinian oppressed in their prayers. I would like to express once again that as long as we support each other, heal each other’s wounds, come together and increase our solidarity and affection, those beautiful days when peace, tranquility and stability will reign in our region and in our heartland are very close. As long as we stand tall against oppression and oppressors. As long as we support our brotherhood and brothers.” “Let’s hold on tightly. Let’s protect our faith and dreams. Then, with the permission of God, there will be no trap that we cannot break, no plan that we cannot destroy, no game or scenario that we will not disappoint.”

“THE STATE DOES NOT MEAN ONLY AN ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION”

Sharing Nurettin Topçu’s statements on the connection between nation, history and identity, President Erdoğan said:

“‘Where the past ends, the nation ends, the people end, the sense ends, they finally find themselves. The nation consists of its history. If you strip it of its history, what remains is a herd of people. All the old movements, old works and thoughts that constitute the past of the nations seem to him like the rings of a chain. I am connected to my father, and he is connected to the heroes of Kosovo and Yıldırım Khan. Their souls pass through the Yunus and Alp Arslans and extend to the Prophet Muhammad. They constitute the rings of the chain that are closer to us. The existence of our ancestors has become our soul, our mind. The nation is the name of such a great mind, our great soul. As a great nation, one of the characteristics of our great mind is the meaning and importance we attach to the concept of state. We have never been without a state in any period of our history, and have always kept our state alive with the motto of eternity. “Our national and spiritual values, our human and cultural values, our vision of the past and the future are directly integrated into our state philosophy. That is why the state does not only represent an administrative organization for us, but also includes meanings such as power, happiness, compassion and mercy.”

“IF YOU IGNORE PEOPLE AND EXCLUDE WISDOM, YOU CANNOT ENSURE PEACE AND STABILITY”

Emphasizing that justice is the basis of thousands of years of state traditions, human beings are at the center, and virtue and morality are at the axis, Erdogan said, “In this respect, the government is intertwined with wisdom. Yusuf Kamil Pasha, who held important positions in the Supreme Court, including the grand vizier, expressed this truth with the words ‘government is in common with wisdom’. Therefore, you cannot ensure administration without establishing justice and goodness. It ignores people, wisdom. If you exclude people, you cannot ensure peace and stability.” he said.

Erdoğan expressed an anecdote in Nizamülmülk’s work titled Siyasetname with the following words:

“It is reported that the Governor of Homs wrote a letter to Ömer bin Abdulaziz as follows: ‘The wall of the Homs bazaar has been ruined. It needs to be reconstructed. What do you say?’. Ömer bin Abdulaziz wrote on the same paper as follows; ‘When the wall of the Homs bazaar is raised with justice and the roads are cleared of fear and cruelty, the resulting structure does not need mud and bricks.’ That is the issue for us. “It is a crystallized truth. Our governors, who represent me and our state in our provinces, have a vital authority and responsibility in this respect.”

“GOVERNOR IS THE MEETING POINT OF CITIZENS AND THE STATE”

Expressing that the governor is the reflection of the perfect and compassionate state on the field, Erdogan said, “It is the melting pot of justice, wisdom and government. It is the meeting point of the citizen and the state. The governorship is the place of healing, the place of being a panacea, the position of being on the same page with our nation, being on the same page with the citizens.” he said.

Noting that their biggest expectations from governors are to produce fast and effective solutions to problems, to win people’s hearts, and to perform their duties with maximum efficiency within the scope of duties and responsibilities, Erdoğan said that leadership essentially requires these.

President Erdoğan said, “A successful governor means a good leader. Good leadership requires taking on burdens, taking responsibility, taking risks, and staying away from administrativeism, that is, from transferring problems that can be solved locally to Ankara.” made his assessment.

Emphasizing that it is not possible for a manager who lets things flow, gets ready, and consumes the inheritance he inherited from his predecessor, to lead neither the province he is in nor the public institution he presides over, Erdogan said, “I especially expect each of you to always observe the following sensitivities while doing your duty. You should use the resources entrusted to you by our state very meticulously for the benefit of our nation and cities. The projects you carry out, the investments you make, and the services you provide are a means of attaining God’s consent.” You should see it.” he said.

Bursa Yıldırım Mayor Oktay Yılmaz talked about the projects he has brought to the district since the day he took office. Yılmaz said, “With the projects we implemented, we managed to touch the hearts of all our citizens from ages 7 to 77. In Yıldırım, we produced permanent services in many areas, from urban transformation and development investments to transportation, from infrastructure and superstructure services to increasing qualified green areas, from the vision of a more livable city with the ‘zero waste’ policy to social support services, to the projects we implemented for our youth. While producing these services, a ‘Lightning Model’ was formed in the field of municipality. “The Yıldırım Model is now being talked about in Türkiye,” he said. Yılmaz said, “In 2019, when I took office, 1/3 of our district had a zoning problem. As of February 1, we completed the zoning and implementation plans in an area of ​​5 million square meters. We resolved 40 thousand ownership and title deed problems. We will distribute 19 thousand title deeds.” Yılmaz said, “When we took office, we set a target of 30 thousand new houses. Thank God, we produced 7 thousand 500 houses. We will complete this number to 30 thousand by 2029.”

Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, KADEM Chairman of the Board of Trustees Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar and many guests attended the 1st International Family Strengthening Conference, hosted by Istanbul Commerce University, in cooperation with the Ministry of Family and Social Services and the Women and Democracy Foundation. In his speech at the program, Minister Göktaş stated that family is the first door to meet the world and said, “Family issue is not only a social issue; it is also a matter of survival and future.” Stating that more than 19 thousand events were organized within the scope of the 2025 “Year of the Family”, Minister Göktaş stated that discounts were cooperated with 2 thousand 47 institutions for young people who will get married.

THE CORESTONE OF STABILITY

Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Women and Democracy Foundation, emphasized in her speech that they see the family as the cornerstone of society’s stability, cultural continuity and civilization vision. Stating that the increasing presence of women in education, employment and decision-making mechanisms does not weaken the family structure, on the contrary, it creates a more conscious, durable and fair family environment, Bayraktar said that a non-violent and safe family environment is the basic condition for social peace.

FAMILIES SHOULD BE RAISED AWARENESS

Bayraktar stated that families should be made aware of new generation risks. Also in the program, Rector of Uzbekistan Bukhara Technical University Sadoqat Sıddıqova made a presentation. An agreement was reached on increasing cooperation between the two countries, strengthening family policies by sharing experience and implementing joint projects.

‘SHALWAR’ SUPPORT FROM WOMEN

KADEM Bingöl Representation organized a meaningful event. At the meeting, where solidarity and cultural values ​​came to the fore, participants gave a message of unity by wearing shalwar. This movement, which symbolizes the place and commitment of women in social life, was appreciated. To the event; In addition to KADEM Bingöl Representative Lecturer Merve Çelik, Secretary Kübra Akar Zoroğlu, Executive Board members Dr. Faculty Member Habibe Temizsu, Dr. Lecturer Hanife Çelik, Quran Course Instructor Büşra Köse, teachers Beyhan İnan and Semra Bakankli, Seda Nur Butaku and volunteer social worker Handan Çiftçi attended. Aziz ÖNAL / SABAH

The investigation continues regarding the theft of 30 million dollars, consisting of 100 dollar bills, which Bilal Durmaz, 28, the owner of Mestur Döviz, who lives in Ekşinar Konakları in Bakırköy, Istanbul, kept in the parking lot of the site where he had been staying for 3 months. On February 11, four thieves entered the site with a vehicle with a fake license plate, broke the windows of two vehicles containing the money, loaded 10 sacks of money in the trunk into their own vehicle and disappeared. While it was determined that Bilal Durmaz was the son of Atilla Durmaz, the owner of Taç Döviz, the key figure in the “İBB bribery and dirty money” investigation, 11 suspects were detained regarding the incident. While it was stated that the person who organized the incident was Kemal Kırmızıdemir (41), it was determined that the thieves who came by vehicle hid themselves by approaching the bumper of a vehicle while entering the site. It was evaluated that the site security and administrators deleted the footage of Kırmızıdemir leaving and entering the house from the cameras. 9 of the 11 suspects referred to the court were arrested, and 2 were released on condition of judicial control.