.President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan used a Manzikert anniversary address to urge Kurdish actors to engage directly with both Ankara and Damascus, warning that those who seek Israel as “new foreign patrons” will ultimately “lose.” He framed Turkey as a security “guarantor” for all communities in Syria—explicitly including Kurds—and said lasting stability depends on “brotherhood and neighborliness” rather than external sponsorships.
“Accordingly, as with all brotherly peoples in Syria, the guarantor of the Kurds’ security, peace, and well-being is Turkey,” Erdoğan said. “Those who turn their faces toward Ankara and Damascus will prevail. Those who respect the bonds of brotherhood and neighborliness will prevail. Those who lose their qibla and go searching for new foreign patrons will, in the end, lose. Once the sword is drawn, there is no room left for the pen and the word. We favor establishing lasting peace throughout our region and resolving problems through dialogue and diplomacy.”
Explicit warning on external backing
In this address, Erdoğan’s use of “new foreign patrons” referred to Israel. He urged Kurdish political and security actors—especially in northern Syria—to prioritize formal channels with Turkey and the Syrian government instead of turning to outside backers. Setting Turkey up as a “guarantor,” he presented a neighbor-led framework as the only durable basis for Kurdish security and political gains.
Dialogue over confrontation
By contrasting “the sword” with “the pen,” Erdoğan called for political negotiations to prevail over armed confrontation. The appeal to “turn toward Ankara and Damascus” outlined a state-to-state track for addressing governance, security, and cross-border tensions in Kurdish-populated areas, with the goal of reducing miscalculation and preventing spillover violence.
Domestic parallel: “Terror-Free Turkey”
Linking the regional message to internal priorities, Erdoğan highlighted his “Terror-Free Turkey” drive, which he said seeks to lower polarization and inoculate society against disinformation and provocations. He cautioned that sabotage attempts may intensify as progress continues but insisted, “whatever they do, this time they will not succeed.”
Gaza and regional stewardship
Erdoğan paired the Syria remarks with an update on Turkey’s Gaza posture—pointing to sustained diplomacy and more than 102,000 tons of aid—as part of a broader claim of regional stewardship. He said Turkey “champions the Palestinian cause on every platform” while keeping dialogue channels with neighbors open.
Historical register, present roadmap
Speaking at Malazgirt National Park on the 954th anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert, Erdoğan invoked Sultan Alparslan and Salahaddin Ayyubi to link historical unity with a contemporary roadmap among Turks, Kurds, and Arabs. He urged replacing “songs of separation” with “songs of brotherhood,” arguing that national cohesion and neighbor-to-neighbor diplomacy reinforce one another.
Event notes
The ceremony, organized by the Archers Foundation, opened with a moment of silence and the national anthem, featured a performance by the Gendarmerie General Command’s Mehteran band, and concluded with a prayer by Religious Affairs President Ali Erbaş. Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli attended alongside Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, senior AK Party officials, and members of parliament
