Erdogan says 'Terror-Free Türkiye' brings new momentum to region

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday told the opening session of Türkiye's parliament that the "Terror-Free Türkiye" initiative has generated fresh momentum in a volatile region, describing the effort as essential to forging a unified national stance on critical interests.

Terror-Free Türkiye initiative

Speaking before the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye to mark the new legislative year, Erdogan said the initiative serves as a deterrent to adversaries while reinforcing the country's power base. "In an environment where our region has turned into a ring of fire, the 'Terror-Free Türkiye' efforts have already had a deterrent effect on Türkiye's adversaries, have further strengthened Türkiye's power, and ushered in a new momentum in our region," he said. "On matters concerning Türkiye's national interests, politics must be able to reach a full consensus," Erdogan added, referring to the initiative as the "Great Türkiye Consensus."

Economic resilience amid conflicts

Erdogan highlighted the country's economic trajectory despite surrounding instability, noting that gross domestic product expanded 2.5% year-on-year during the first half of 2026 while annualized national income surpassed $1.7 trillion. Exports reached a record $280.3 billion on an annual basis in August, with defense and aerospace shipments climbing 16.2% to $6.3 billion in the first eight months of the year, he said. "Despite the wars and crises that have erupted one after another in our region, we have managed to keep Türkiye on a path of development and growth," Erdogan added.

Banking oversight

The president addressed recent turbulence in financial markets, confirming that authorities are working to resolve issues linked to an ongoing fund investigation without compromising economic security. "We are also successfully overcoming the issue that has emerged in a certain segment of the funding markets," Erdogan said, adding that regulators are acting swiftly under capital market regulations to ensure fairness. The Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency transferred management control of three investment banks — Tera, Destek, and Hedef — and two factoring companies to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund on Wednesday, citing developments tied to the probe.