ISTANBUL, May 29 (APP/AA): Speaking at the 564th anniversary
event of Istanbul’s conquest by an Ottoman sultan on Sunday in
Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Istanbul was
the outline of Turkey.
“Istanbul is the outline of Turkey. All of Turkey’s 80
provinces have human and physical connections with Istanbul. In
this sense, to speak about Istanbul means to speak about Turkey.
To serve Istanbul means to serve Turkey,” Erdogan said.
“Now it is a fact that while Ankara is the capital of Turkey,
Izmir is the capital of the Aegean, and cities like Antalya and Mugla
are tourism brands, Istanbul is the showcase of our country. The more beautiful this showcase is, the more glamorous it becomes, the more profitable Turkey becomes,” he added.
“When I speak about Istanbul I am actually talking about Turkey.
If people come for trade or visit, Istanbul is the first contact for
those who come to our country,” he said.
“I hope that in the coming period we will endeavor to take
important steps towards important projects. We will do all of this
together with you,” he added.
“We will quickly complete the efforts that will prevent
terrorist organizations, especially FETO, Daesh and PKK, from
extending the damages they did to this city,” he added.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim also spoke at
the event.
“All elements of the Ottoman Empire that lived in friendship
in this territory live in the same peacefulness today in the Republic
of Turkey. As it was seen in history, those who want to ruin this
peaceful climate will face disappointment,” he said.
On May 29, 1453, Sultan Mehmed II conquered Istanbul, then
called Constantinople, from where the Byzantines had ruled the
Eastern Roman Empire for more than 1,000 years.
The conquest transformed the city, once the heart of the
Byzantine realm, into the capital of the new Ottoman Empire.
Ankara has accused the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO)
of orchestrating last July’s coup attempt in Turkey, which martyred
250 people and injured nearly 2,200.
The PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the
U.S. and the EU — resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July
2015. Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of some
1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number
of women and children.