ANKARA - "Our political style resembles the style of our folks. Our life style also resembles the living style of the people," said Chairman of the ruling Justice & Development (AK) Party and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Tuesday.
Erdogan began his speech at the AK Party group meeting by congratulating the 554th anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul by Fatih Sultan Mehmet.
"Fatih Sultan Mehmet turned Istanbul into a center of science and culture in which people of different religious and cultural origins lived side by side. As a symbol of contemporary Turkey, Istanbul is a living example to us that we can create a globe in which differences can live in peace, side by side," underlined Erdogan.
Referring to the accomplishments of the AK Party in the past five years, Erdogan stressed that "the AK Party completed its duties successfully."
"We have completed our mandate with high honors", told Erdogan.
"We have carried Turkish politics, democracy and welfare of the people to higher standards," stressed Erdogan. We now stand at a point where a new race will begin to reach the goals of Turkey, he underscored .
Prime Minister Erdogan remarked that "AK Party is the party of whole Turkey and not just a group of people".
"AK Party is a center right party ," he added.
According to Erdogan, being a party of the center right implies "loyalty to the principles of the Turkish republic and its foundation ideals. It also implies paying attention to Turkey`s honor and respectability in world affairs."