President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the Women and Democracy Association (KADEM) Congress.

Erdoğan, reacting strongly to the European Parliament’s decision on Turkey, said, “A bunch of 400 or 500 people came together and convened. 40 or 50 people said ‘yes’ and 400 people said ‘no’. If all of you said ‘yes’ what difference would it make? If you go any further these border crossings will open. You need to be know this, too.
 “ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT OPENED THE GATE TO THE EU FOR 53 YEARS TO APPLY SANCTIONS?”

I am aware that in warning the EU, there will be a cost to this fight that we are waging in the name of our people and all of humanity. The person who heads our country’s main opposition party has stood up and is threatening, ‘This will be followed by further sanctions.’ Hark at the poor fellow. Are those who have not opened the gate to the EU for 53 years to apply sanctions? What has happened to us? Have we collapsed? We have stood firm and it is clear where we have taken Turkey since we took over at its helm. God willing, these sanctions will not crush us. Don’t forget that the West needs Turkey. Turkey, which is currently hosting and feeding three million refugees, has kept its borders shut in the expectation that aid will come. Why did we open ours? We could not abandon those oppressed people to tyrants. That’s why we opened our borders.”