Erdoğan ‘risked death while expanding freedoms,’ senior AKP figure argues

Turkish ruling AKP Deputy Chair Ali İhsan Yavuz has argued that President Erdoğan “risked death while expanding freedoms” in the country, such as lifting the ban on headscarves or converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

Sunday August 04 2024 10:50 pm

Duvar English

Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Chair Ali İhsan Yavuz on Aug. 3 said that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan “risked death while expanding freedoms”

Speaking at a party event in the eastern Van province, Yavuz said, “While expanding areas of freedom and removing obstacles” in the country, “Mr. President has risked death every time.”

Yavuz argued everyone should unite behind Erdoğan.

He claimed that they fought against bans, corruption, and poverty during their rule, and that President Erdoğan initiated “very important moves and took very important steps” to increase Turkey's income and expand its opportunities.

Yavuz said that important steps were taken to lift the ban on headscarves and expand freedoms during their rule.

“Our struggle against other prohibitions is Hagia Sophia. It is not just the opening of a mosque for worship. It means more than a mosque. There are many reasons. One of the meanings is the demonstration of your sovereign authority. Like the headscarf, opening Hagia Sophia for worship means going to death,” he said.

“While we are doing all this, we are struggling both internally and externally. The Republican People's Party (CHP) is the one we struggle with the most inside. It has been following the DEM Party,” he added.