Erdoğan says no one can send refugees back as long as he is in power

Fotoğraf: Mustafa Kamacı - Ankara / AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at a meeting of his party today (May 11).

He talked about the latest discussions regarding sending back the refugees in Turkey.

Responding to the statements of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, he remarked, "As long as we are in charge, you will not be able to send them back."

"If they want to return voluntarily, they will return, but we will not force them to return by threatening them with guns," he added.

New target: 2053

The president also talked about the general elections in 2023, saying, "Turkey's moving from developing countries to the world's top 10 economies depends on the choice to be made in 2023."

Erdoğan recalled the previous elections in Turkey and said that all party members have to get prepared well for the upcoming elections.

"Every election is important; every election is historical. The November 2002 elections were a historic turning point. The 2007 elections enabled us to enter a new phase in our struggle against tutelage.

"The 2015 elections turned into a fight with those who wanted to go back to those old days. The 2018 elections were a test for us against the coup attempt. The 2023 elections will be a calculation of what we have achieved during AKP ruling and also be the precursor of our 2053 vision." (AS/TB/VK)