ISTANBUL 

Civilizations build their cities based on their own belief, morality, art and philosophy, Turkey's president said Friday. 

"Turkish cities are manifestations of our rich culture, deep thought and authentic sense of aesthetic," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a social sciences congress in Istanbul.

Erdogan attended Second International Congress of Social Sciences at Istanbul University.

Speaking at the congress, Erdogan said: "We will build cities that will both maintain the traces of our civilization and at the same time adapt to the conditions of the modern era." 

Erdogan also underlined that the ideas of 14th-century Muslim philosopher Ibn Khaldun had an important impact on the formation of his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party’s ideas and practices.

Stressing the importance of prioritizing the people rather than the state, Erdogan said: "A state will live as long as its people live."

He highlighted that all historical Turkish cities, particularly Istanbul, Edirne, Bursa and Konya, had been established with a human-centered understanding.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz