President Gül Hosts Iftar for Families of Martyrs, War Veterans
11.07.2014
President Abdullah Gül, meeting with families of martyrs and war veterans during the iftar (fast breaking dinner) which he hosted at the Çankaya Presidential Palace, noted that “we cannot do enough for you, as you have sacrificed your beloved ones for the sake of the land, but at least we can demonstrate that the state has never forgotten and will never forget what you have done for this country.”
President Abdullah Gül, meeting with families of martyrs and war veterans during the iftar which he hosted at the Çankaya Presidential Palace. The President and First Lady Hayrünnisa Gül welcomed their guests at the entrance of the Hall of Honor.
“THE STATE WILL NEVER FORGET YOUR SACRIFICES”
Delivering a speech prior to the iftar, President Gül wished everyone a happy Ramadan and said that “your dearest ones, your children sacrificed themselves for the sake of our country and nation and for our union and solidarity and security. Our war veterans have also made great sacrifices and demonstrated heroic deeds for the land as well. Our nation has a gratitude for you all. We cannot do enough for you, as you have sacrificed your beloved ones for the sake of the land, but at least we can demonstrate that the state has never forgotten and will never forget what you have done for this country.”
Recalling that when he was elected President, he launched a meaningful tradition by meeting with families of martyrs and war veterans during the holy months of Ramadan, President Gül said this one is a kind of a farewell iftar, as he remembered that his term in office ends in August, adding: “I’m glad that recently, we have made important progress in terms of solving our problems through dialogue. These problems will be overcome as long as we can maintain our union and solidarity and show tribute to diversities and differences among us. In the past, we all went through agonies. When we heard the news about our martyrs, we all felt the same sorrows in our hearts. We are doing our best so that our war veterans can enjoy a comfortable life. My aides and advisors have always been in close coordination with the relevant officials regarding this issue.”
“WE ARE HERE TO OVERCOME YOUR CONCERNS”
The President further reiterated that “we are here to overcome your concerns. Well, there might still be problems, but we are doing our best to solve these problems. I assure you that your demands will be closely followed.”
Underscoring the importance of cherishing the country, President Gül continued as follows: “We all see that grave and heart-wrenching events are happening in some of our neighboring countries. Cities are being destroyed, people have been uprooted from their homeland. Hundreds of thousands of these people have become refugees. Millions of them are living in camps established in other countries. We could have different opinions and ideologies. Further, our traditions and cultures might be different, but these are all nothing but our richness indeed. As long as we can maintain our union and solidarity, we can really enjoy peace. You are the dearest guests of all at the Çankaya Presidential Palace. May Allah’s mercy be upon our martyrs. I wish a quick recuperation for our war veterans. The memories of our martyrs will live for good and we will continue trying to solve our war veterans’ problems.”
Attending the iftar were 164 members of the families of martyrs and war veterans from 46 cities.
