Delivering a speech at the event, President Erdoğan underscored that the efforts they exerted to raise the standards of the Turkish democracy were sought to be undermined through provocations, clamors for coup and political assassinations, but that they had never bowed down to any of them.

“We have never given in to any internal or external pressure. We have strengthened our democracy despite the threats of coup and tutelage. We have grown our economy despite a handful of elites who have made a habit of getting rich without working. We have elevated our defense industry to the league of giants despite the global gangs that have sought to make us dependent on them,” Erdoğan said.