Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Saturday that a strong military and defence industry were necessary to ensure the peaceful existence of the Turkish nation, at a campaign rally ahead of local elections.
“If you want peace and tranquillity, you have to be ready for war,” Erdoğan said, defending Turkey’s cross-border military operations against Kurdish regions in both Syria and Iraq.
“Our path is clear; we must have a strong army and defence industry, capable in the air, on land and at sea. The only thing that will protect us from our enemies is our own strength, our own capabilities. Otherwise, we wouldn’t even be allowed to breathe in this land,” Erdoğan said.
Turkey has long been accused of war crimes for its devastating attacks on Kurdish forces and infrastructure in northern Syria. According to Erdoğan, who sees the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an ally of the US-led Global Coalition against ISIS, as a threat, Turkey’s operations have thwarted attempts to establish what he calls a terrorist corridor along its southern border.
As the local elections approach, Erdoğan’s emphasis on national security is a key part of his message to voters. As his Justice and Development Party (AKP), which lost Istanbul and Ankara to the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the last local elections in 2019, goes into the polls hoping to win back these critical metropolises, Erdoğan is seeking to position himself as the leader who can ensure Turkey’s security and prosperity.