Erdogan: 'Turkey will definitely reach its 2023 goals'

ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated Saturday in his new year message that Turkey will reach its goals.

Erdogan issued a new year's message at the presidential complex in Ankara, saying that 2016 was a year in which many sad incidents followed one another.

"We were subjected to many bloody terrorist acts," he said while emphasizing that all these terrorist activities would not divert Turkey from its path to the 2023 when the country would celebrate the 100th year of its founding.

The president pointed out the July 15 coup attempt was "undoubtedly" the vilest terrorist act and an invasion attempt within Turkey's republican era.

Turkey is in "a new independence war," Erdogan said, adding that "our national unity, our territorial integrity, our institutions, our economy, our foreign policy, all the elements that keep us alive as a state are under a great attack."

"Terrorist organizations are just the faces and puppets in this struggle. We are in a struggle against the forces behind these organizations," he said.

However, the Turkish president claimed that "With the we have taken, the terrorist organizations surrounding our state and our nation have been disintegrated and got collapsed, and gangs that have been cruel to the nation for years have been routed from everywhere."

Stressing the Turkish people's determined posture against the PKK, Daesh terrorist and the FETO coup attempt, Erdogan "I am always honored to be a member of this supreme nation standing firmly behind the country and the government."

"There is no mortal force that can divert this nation from its path," he added.

Erdogan also stated that the Operation Euphrates Shield, starting with Jarabulus and moving towards Al-Bab in Syria, led to bringing down the mask of Daesh and the forces behind them.

"Thus, our borders have been cleared of all terrorist organizations, including the PYD, YPG, and Daesh," he added.