Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at a December 18, 2024 speech at the TÜBA and TÜBİTAK Ceremony for Prizes in Science: "Turkey is much bigger than Turkey. As a nation, we cannot limit our horizon to 782,000 square kilometers [...] Turkey as a nation cannot escape or hide from this destiny […] Those who ask, 'What is Turkey doing in Libya, Syria, and Somalia?' may not be able to conceive this mission and vision." Erdoğan’s speech was aired by HaberTürk TV.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: "Turkey is much bigger than Turkey.
[…]
"As a nation, we cannot limit our horizon to 782,000 square kilometers. Just as a person cannot be saved from his destiny by fleeing it, Turkey as a nation cannot escape or hide from its destiny. We must see, accept, and act according to the mission that history has given us as a nation.
[…]
"Those who ask, 'What is Turkey doing in Libya, Syria, and Somalia?' may not be able to conceive this mission and vision."