Erdogan: We will continue to stand by the truth and its people

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed that his country “will continue to stand by what is right and who has the right, especially in Gaza.”

This came in a speech he delivered on Monday during his participation in the capital, Ankara, in a program organized by the presidency of the youth wing of the ruling Justice and Development Party in Turkey in commemoration of the Turkish poet Mehmet Âkif Ersoy (1873-1936).

Erdogan praised Ersoy, describing him as “a great personality who deserved the title of poet of independence through his positions, wisdom, deep knowledge, and exemplary morals.”

He added: “Mehmet Âkif Ersoy stood by our nation not only with his pen and poetry, but with all his material and spiritual existence.”

Erdogan said: “We will continue to speak out through Akef for those who were killed, colonized and oppressed, especially in Gaza, and we will continue to stand by the truth and its companions.”

Ersoy is the author of the Turkish national anthem, in which he immortalized his nation’s battle after World War I, which culminated in liberation in 1921 following the Turkish War of Independence against foreign occupation.

Poet Ersoy’s poems dealt with social problems and philosophical, religious, political and moral issues.