Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared the start of an era of a “great and strong Turkey” during a speech Tuesday in Ahlat, in eastern Turkey, saying Syria, Iraq and the wider region would move toward greater peace and stability.
Erdogan said Turks, Kurds and Arabs should unite as “brothers” and accused unnamed actors of trying to undermine Turkey and regional stability.
He said those seeking to profit from terrorism or plunge the region into instability would be defeated, without identifying them.
“We know very well what calculations you are making,” Erdogan said, adding that Turkey also had its own plans and would not be diverted from its course.
Erdogan said peace, stability and “brotherhood” would prevail and declared that the “Turkish Century” had begun. He said the country’s 86 million citizens would benefit from what he described as a new era for Turkey, amid continuing instability in neighboring Syria and Iraq.
