Top 167 Quotes & Sayings by Recep Tayyip Erdogan - Page 2

I have already said that I find the coalition air strikes to be insufficient. A ground intervention will be necessary to overcome Daesh.

The E.U. should want Turkey to be part of it.

We of course define all terror organizations as threats, but the PKK is the primary threat.

Jerusalem is holy to three religions. You have to respect that.

Russia is not engaged in a fight against Daesh in Syria. On the contrary, they are actually targeting moderate opposition.

We have to fight all terrorist groups, and not arm one to fight another.

If the European Union wants to be an address where civilizations meet, it must take Turkey in.

Russia and Iran back Assad, but are they fighting Daesh? The answer is 'no.'

Satire, whether it be satire or not, everything has to have boundaries.

Even as we ought to accept that each country would progress with a different method and speed toward that goal, the standard for the expected end-state should not be lowered.

Once the people of Iraq know when the U.S. troops will leave, their confidence in the U.S. will increase.

A federated structure in Iraq based on ethnicity or religious sects will not be healthy.

I cannot deceive my people.

We are concerned that Germany, which has protected the PKK and DHKP-C for years, has become the backyard of the Gulenist terror organisation.

We're really willing to see more and more U.S. entrepreneurs conducting investments in Turkey. I'm optimistic for the future.

I regard the endorsement of both the objective and a method - which can differ from one country to another- of democratization by the parties in the region as a basic requisite of democratization in the Middle East.

Before anything else, I'm a Muslim. As a Muslim, I try to comply with the requirements of my religion. I have a responsibility to God, who created me, and I try to fulfill that responsibility. But I try now very much to keep this away from my political life, to keep it private.

It is essential that policy instruments be developed that would firmly establish democratization on the basis of social consensus and enable transformation on stable grounds.

All terror groups are bad, and we shall fight them all.

Those who claim we buy oil from Daesh are obliged to prove it. If not, you are slanderer.

Among leaders in Europe there are those who have prejudices against Turkey, like France and Germany.

If you're the leader, you have to communicate the message of immortality to your people. Because I believe if a leader hides behind a rock, then the people will hide behind a mountain.

We have never done anything to stop freedom of expression or freedom of press.

Turkey is a sovereign state, just like the U.S. We might go to different directions, in terms of our impressions and ideas, but we'll always remain friends.

I'm calling on the United States: what kind of strategic partners are we, that you can still host someone whose extradition I have asked for?

We have extradited terrorists to the United States in the past. And we expect the same thing to be done by the United States.

The PKK is the number one threat in terms of terror in our country.

In the process of the Arab Spring, we have unfortunately seen a development in Syria where the regime has been oppressing its people.

A simple caricature, a simple sketch - that's fine. There's nothing wrong with that. But if you draw up a caricature... if you associate that subject with the things you're not supposed to, then, of course, you can't expect that to be acceptable.

Even in the Western world, one cannot argue that the ideal has been achieved given the existence of issues like the integration, participation and representation of Muslim citizens, and occasional but lingering anti-Semitism.

Engaging in actions which are not allowed by law should have certain prices to pay.

Nazism is still widespread in the West.

Being in the European Union, we would be building bridges between the 1.5 bn people of Muslim world to the non-Muslim world. They have to see this. If they ignore it, it brings weakness to the E.U.

Germany has become an important haven for terrorists.

If everyone can say, looking at Obama, that is he is one of us, is that not befitting for the leading country in the world?

I consider personally the election of Barack Hussein Obama to have very great symbolic meaning. A Muslim and a Christian name - so in his name there is a synthesis, although people from time to time want to overlook that, and they do it intentionally.

Our country and our nation have again only one message to those who attack us - you will not succeed!

Why shouldn't Turkey be in the Shanghai Five?

The advanced levels which the democratic world has attained at the end of lengthy processes may have created the perception in the region that democracy is a distant concept; this perception can be addressed.

You cannot defend a terrorist group just because they are fighting Daesh.

In this context, social consensus, and institutions that embody this consensus, must be made effective in order for democratization not to be abused as a provisional instrument to establish an anti-democratic regime.

Turkey must feel at ease. It mustn't say, 'For me, it's the European Union at all costs.' That's my view.

My own daughters weren't able to study in Turkey because of their headscarves, so they went to the United States.

The best examples of lies can be found there. To me, social media is the worst menace to society.

Forsake Alcohol, eat grapes instead!

If we look at history, we will see that regimes which persecute [their people] do not remain standing.

I cannot understand how sensible people still defend Facebook, YouTube and Twitter

This (presidential) system will not bear any resemblance to dictatorships under the same name in Africa and Asia, (It) will be unique to Turkey, it will be like a bee making honey, taking something from every flower and giving us a taste of a truly different honey.

We will not leave this nation at the mercy of YouTube and Facebook.

If the people allow something to happen, it's the right thing.

I am saying yes to criticism, but no to insults.

You cannot put women and men on an equal footing. It is against nature. They were created differently. Their nature is different. She should not laugh loudly in front of all the world and should preserve her decency at all times.

Similarly, it is argued that the culture of Islam is incompatible with democracy. Basically, this conventional perspective of the Middle East thus contends that democracy in that region is neither possible nor even desirable

If some people keep saying that the press is still not free in Turkey, then I would like to say this: there has been a coup attempt in Turkey. And there are people siding with the coup plotters. And there are - there is also media outlets that have been against - that are against the coup attempt. So my question is that against the media that supported the coup, will the Turkish justice, judicial system, not take any steps? Of course it will.

The knife in the hand of a murderer kills, but if you give it to a doctor he will heal with it.

Our religion has defined a position for women (in society): motherhood. Some people can understand this, while others can't. You cannot explain this to feminists because they don't accept the concept of motherhood.

Turkey is the gateway to the east for Europe, and the gateway to Europe for the east. We have a bridging function that Europe shouldn't underestimate.

I don't want to use the term "nuclear weapons" because those people in Iran who have authority say they are not building nuclear weapons. I make an appeal to the countries who do have nuclear weapons. They don't consider them a nuclear threat. But let's say a country that doesn't have nuclear weapons gets involved in building them, then they are told by those that already have nuclear weapons that they oppose [such a development]. Where is the justice in that?

There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that's it.

We'll eradicate Twitter. I don't care what the international community says. Everyone will witness the power of the Turkish Republic. There is now a scourge that is called Twitter. The best examples of lies can be found there. To me, social media is the worst menace to society. They came to me with this case of Twitter ignoring case of smeared housewife. I said, let's solve this.