Türkiye's strategy of 'eliminating terrorism at its source' yields success: President

Türkiye has achieved significant success at home and abroad through its strategy of “eliminating terrorism at its source,” particularly after the defeated 2016 coup attempt, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the National Security Conferences at the presidential complex, Erdogan said the event was organized to promote a better understanding of the National Security Policy Document, which defines the country's national threat perceptions and foreign policy goals.

Erdogan noted that after the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, Türkiye took a more active security approach based on eliminating threats at their source.

Through this strategy, he said, Türkiye carried out a multidimensional fight against terrorist groups while also creating a security line along its southern borders through cross-border operations.

He added that after the coup attempt, Türkiye’s anti-terrorist operations in areas of Iraq and Syria close to the Turkish border confirmed the country’s ability to make its own decisions and "ushered in a new security era."

He described them as an important step toward strengthening Türkiye’s strategic memory, improving coordination among state institutions, and preparing officials to accurately assess new and emerging threats.

He also underlined Türkiye’s long state tradition, referring to the 16 states over the course of some 2,200 years represented on the presidential seal.

Erdogan said the Turkish nation had founded states across a vast geography, from Europe to Central Asia and from the Caucasus to Africa.

“As we always say, the Republic of Türkiye is not the first state we founded on these lands, but it is our latest,” he said.

Erdogan said during its history Türkiye had faced many difficulties, betrayals, and crises, but also repeatedly managed to recover and move forward.

He said the country had never relied on others to protect its homeland.

He said this understanding guided the Turkish War of Independence, the founding of the republic in 1923, the defense of democracy, and Türkiye’s 40-year-plus fight against terrorism.