Recep Tayyip Erdoğan cast himself as the archangel of Peace — peace wearing the face of Turkey — during remarks delivered at ceremonies marking the 955th anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert (1071), in which the Seljuk Turks defeated the Byzantine Empire. Yet he made sure not to forget Israel. How could he? By referencing Syria and Iraq, he set up an easy opportunity to lash out at those he so loves to hate. The notable difference this time, however, was that he never once uttered the word “Israel” — perhaps a sign of the pressure he has been feeling lately, most notably from the Netanyahu government’s request for an international arrest warrant against him.
Erdoğan: “The century of Turkey”
Speaking in Bitlis, before a crowd of Turks dressed in Seljuk warrior costumes, Erdoğan made clear that his country will not back down from its interests in Syria, despite warnings from Israel, which maintains forces in the region. He spoke of the dawn of a new era for “a great and powerful Turkey,” and insisted that both Syria and Iraq can find their way to peace. “Syria and Iraq, as well as our broader region, will achieve the climate of peace and stability they have sought for years,” Erdoğan said, adding that “all the brotherly peoples of our region” stand to benefit from this development.
That is where the anonymous tirade began. “We know who is disturbed by this. We know who is worried. To them I say: whatever you do, you cannot steer us off our path,” he declared pointedly. He alleged that “dirty hands” are working against Turkey, and that plots are being hatched — plots which Ankara, he claimed, is fully aware of.
The Turkish President went on to say that “the merchants of blood, the opportunists who profit from terrorism, the genociders who want to plunge our region into instability will be defeated.” He further proclaimed that “the side of humanity will emerge victorious,” with Turkey leading the charge, and that brotherhood, peace, and stability will ultimately prevail. “The victor will be the Turkish people, all 86 million of them. The era of a great and powerful Turkey has dawned. The century of Turkey has begun,” he declared.
Turkish President Erdogan:
If everyone has an agenda, rest assured that we too have an agenda, a plan.
Most importantly, Allah, the Lord of all worlds, also has a plan.
And in the end, that plan will prevail.
The merchants of blood will lose. Those who seek to plunge our… pic.twitter.com/REuqq04a2u
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 25, 2026
