Erdoğan: 'Turkey is bigger than Turkey, we can't limit ourselves'

Erdoğan: 'Turkey is bigger than Turkey, we can't limit ourselves'

Yitz Goldberg

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday that it is his country's destiny to expand its borders, particularly into Syria.

Speaking at the Scientific and Technological Research Council (TÜBİTAK) and Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA) Awards Ceremony at the Beştepe National Congress and Culture Center, the President stated: "Every incident that has occurred in our region, especially in Syria, recently reminds us of this fact; Turkey is bigger than Turkey. As a nation, we cannot limit our horizon to 782,000 square kilometers."

According to him, "Just as a person cannot escape his destiny, Turkey and the Turkish nation cannot escape or hide from their destiny. As a nation, we have to see the mission that history has assigned to us and act accordingly. We see this, we do not turn a deaf ear to the calls."

Erdoğan continued: "Those who ask, 'What is Turkey doing in Libya and Syria?' may not be able to comprehend this mission. Those who do not know how Turkey has changed may have difficulty understanding the course of events. We leave them alone with nonsense. No matter what we tell those who have abandoned their empathy with their nation, it is useless. We will not waste time with them, we will focus on our goals."

Turning to the scientists at the event, he added: "I believe that you will also fulfill your responsibilities on this blessed journey."

Erdoğan's address comes as he continues building troops on the Syrian border near a majority Kurdish area.

Senior US officials told the Wall Street Journal on Monday night that the Turkish forces on the border include militia fighters, Turkish uniformed commandos, and a large force of artillery.

The officials said that the invasion could be imminent and the current troop buildup appears similar to Turkish military moves ahead of its 2019 invasion of northeast Syria.

Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli attacked the Turkish President on Wednesday for his military actions in the Kurdish-majority regions of Syria. "Kurdistan must be granted independence, while Erdoğan should be expelled from NATO and left to crown himself as the caliph of an Islamic state, ruling alongside his friends in ISIS and Al-Qaeda," Chikli wrote on X.