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Erdogan delivered a wide-ranging address following a Cabinet meeting Monday, urging citizens not to lose hope despite opposition criticism and calling for national unity across ethnic and religious lines as political tensions simmer in parliament.
Speaking at the Presidential Complex, Erdogan assured supporters that qualified personnel remain in charge of governance despite what he characterized as the opposition's incompetence. "Your trust is in safe and capable hands," he said, adding that his government has successfully navigated major challenges over 23 years without compromising the nation's interests.
The president emphasized solidarity among Türkiye's diverse population, invoking a message of brotherhood that crosses ethnic and sectarian boundaries. He referenced Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Laz, Circassians, Sunnis and Alevis, saying the country's strength derives from bonds between its citizens regardless of background.
"We are one, we are together, we are brothers. Together we are Türkiye," Erdogan declared. "We will not allow anyone to break this, to dynamite this."
The president announced the appointment of 1,351 new judicial personnel who completed their training on December 2, including 712 judges, 492 prosecutors and 147 administrative judges. The appointments represent part of broader efforts to strengthen the justice system's human resources and infrastructure.
Erdogan cited statistics showing growth in judicial capacity over two decades, with the number of justice personnel expanding from 26,274 to 95,224, and judges and prosecutors increasing from 9,349 to 26,803. The number of standalone courthouse buildings rose from 78 to 391 during the same period.
The president claimed Türkiye's compliance rate with European Court of Human Rights decisions stands at 90 percent, above the average for Council of Europe member states. He noted that violation rates have fallen to 1.09 percent, below the Council's average, though he criticized international observers for applying different standards when evaluating Türkiye compared to other nations.
He drew particular attention to what he described as inconsistencies in press freedom rankings, noting that Israel ranks ahead of Türkiye and Palestine despite what he called the killing of 270 journalists in Gaza.
Erdogan condemned remarks made by an opposition lawmaker toward an AK Party deputy speaker during budget discussions, calling them a breach of propriety that disrespected both the individual and parliament. He urged all lawmakers to maintain civil discourse even during heated debates.
"We will of course criticize each other, but we will not be hurtful and destructive," the president said, appealing for more careful attention to political rhetoric during the budget marathon.
The president also offered condolences for Gulsah Durbay, the mayor of Manisa Sehzadeler from the opposition CHP party, who died recently.
Erdogan detailed recent diplomatic activities, including hosting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for the seventh meeting of the Türkiye-Hungary High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council on December 8 in Istanbul. The meeting produced 16 agreements, with both leaders setting a bilateral trade target of $10 billion, up from the current level approaching $6 billion.
On December 9, Erdogan participated in a program marking the 77th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He argued that principles enshrined in the 1948 document have been trampled in recent regional conflicts, pointing specifically to the situations in Gaza and Syria.
"Türkiye, with its state and nation, has given the world lessons in human rights through its peace and justice-oriented work in Gaza, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Libya—in short, in all regions soaked with blood and tears," Erdogan stated.
He criticized the international community for failing to prevent what he characterized as rights violations, saying global institutions have "just watched" rather than solving problems. The president described Israel's actions in Gaza over two years as war crimes and genocide committed brazenly before the world, and said Syria's Baath regime violated every human rights norm during 13.5 years of conflict.
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Earlier in the week, Erdogan met with disabled citizens on December 4 for World Disability Day, presenting accessibility awards to leading institutions. He highlighted expanding home care services from 5,000 beneficiaries two decades ago to more than 520,000 currently—a hundredfold increase. The number of disabled civil servants grew by more than 15 times to reach 83,000.
On December 5, Erdogan attended the International Women in Local Government Summit themed "Cities Rising with Women," which coincided with the 91st anniversary of women gaining voting and election rights in Türkiye. He credited his party with removing barriers that prevented women from exercising constitutional rights through discriminatory practices, saying his government relegated "the bad legacy of the single-party period" and "the shame stains of the February 28 mentality" to history's dustbin.
Throughout his remarks, Erdogan invoked historical references including inscriptions from the Orkhon monuments and quotations attributed to the 13th-century poet Rumi, framing his government's approach as rooted in love and compassion rather than division.
The Cabinet meeting covered topics ranging from transportation to security, according to the president, who said his government works tirelessly to strengthen what he called the nation's civilization and ensure the peace and prosperity of all 86 million citizens.
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