Your Royal Highness Prince Saud Bin Abdullah Bin Jalawi, Governor of Jeddah,

His Excellency Hissein Brahim Taha, the OIC Secretary General

Excellencies,

Honourable Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives,

Distinguished Consul Generals,

Dear Guests,

Assalamu Alaykum ve rahmatullahu ve barakatuhu,

Good Evening,

I welcome you all to our Republic Day reception.

Today marks the 101st anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of Türkiye.

On this important day, we commemorate with gratitude the founder of our Republic and first President, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The foundations of our Republic were laid thanks to the courage, determination and devotion of Atatürk and all our veterans and martyrs, who have sacrificed their lives for our nation.

Republic Day is a powerful reminder of the unity, resilience and forward-looking spirit that define Turkish national identity.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Since its proclamation, the Republic of Türkiye has undergone comprehensive and far-reaching social, political and economic transformation in a century.

Our motivation and guiding motto is to raise our nation above the level of contemporary civilizations, as expressed by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Today, the modern Turkish Republic is among the top 20 economies of the world and proudly possesses the 3rd largest network of diplomatic presence in the world.

With its dynamic economy, strong democracy, commitment to fundamental human values, principled and visionary foreign policy, Türkiye aspires to be a haven of stability and prosperity in its immediate region and beyond.

Distinguished Guests,

The visionary leadership of our President, His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, propels the Turkish Republic into the 21st Century with confidence and dynamism.

Under the banner of the Century of Türkiye, we are committed to elevating our Republic to become one of the top global players in political, economic and developmental terms.

In parallel, Türkiye is increasingly engaging with its international partners to transform the global system for a more just and sustainable future.

Within this framework, Türkiye, as the second country which hosts the most OIC institutions, will continue to contribute to the well-being of the Ummah and advance the values and objectives espoused by the OIC.

Taking strength from the values that constitute the very core of our Republic,
namely sovereignty, solidarity and justice, Türkiye will continue to advocate these principles under the OIC umbrella.

It is also with this understanding that the Republic of Türkiye supports all regional and international efforts to halt the ongoing atrocities against the brotherly Palestinian people and prevent further escalation of tensions that threaten regional peace and stability.

Excellencies,

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as host of the OIC.

Last but not least, allow me to once again express my most sincere gratitude and appreciation for honoring our Republic Day celebrations.

Thank you.