Recep Tayyip Erdogan

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

“Paramount is the need to secure human rights. The form of rule should be such that the citizen does not have to fear the State, but gives it direction and confidently participates in its administration.”

“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.”

“The members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria are also part of the Syrian people, and they have the right to exercise their democratic rights.”

“During the Gezi protests and PKK terror campaigns, the unity and solidarity of the Turkish nation were attacked.”

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

“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.”

“We have a very significant number of Jewish citizens, and they have always been safe and secure where they are in Turkey.”

“If we believe in a democratic system, we have to accept the will of the people.”

“The Kurdish problem is not only the problem of one part of my nation: it is a problem of every one of us, including myself.”

“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.”

“A woman who abstains from motherhood saying 'I am working' means she is in fact rejecting motherhood.”

“Family planning, birth control, no Muslim family can practice such an understanding.”

“A country without a strong leader will go down.”

“I should like to repeat what I stated recently in the Jeddah Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia: It won't be the religion, but rather the world-view of some of its followers that shall be made current.”

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

“Why shouldn't Turkey be in the Shanghai Five?”

“Islam is a religion. It is not an ideology. For a Muslim, there is no such thing as to be against modernity. Why should a Muslim not be a modern person? I, as a Muslim, fulfill all the requirements of my religion, and I live in a democratic, social state.”

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

“It is impossible to preserve my friendship with people who are allegedly leaders when they are attacking their own people, shooting at them, using tanks and other forms of heavy weaponry.”