Turkish President: Istanbul Is The Outline Of Turkey

ISTANBUL, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th May, 2017 ) : Speaking at the 564th anniversary event of Istanbul's conquest by an Ottoman sultan on Sunday in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Istanbul was the outline of Turkey.

"Istanbul is the outline of Turkey. All of Turkey's 80 provinces have human and physical connections with Istanbul. In this sense, to speak about Istanbul means to speak about Turkey. To serve Istanbul means to serve Turkey," Erdogan said.

"Now it is a fact that while Ankara is the capital of Turkey, Izmir is the capital of the Aegean, and cities like Antalya and Mugla are tourism brands, Istanbul is the showcase of our country. The more beautiful this showcase is, the more glamorous it becomes, the more profitable Turkey becomes," he added.

"When I speak about Istanbul I am actually talking about Turkey. If people come for trade or visit, Istanbul is the first contact for those who come to our country," he said. "I hope that in the coming period we will endeavor to take important steps towards important projects.

We will do all of this together with you," he added. "We will quickly complete the efforts that will prevent terrorist organizations, especially FETO, Daesh and PKK, from extending the damages they did to this city," he added.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim also spoke at the event. "All elements of the Ottoman Empire that lived in friendship in this territory live in the same peacefulness today in the Republic of Turkey.

As it was seen in history, those who want to ruin this peaceful climate will face disappointment," he said. On May 29, 1453, Sultan Mehmed II conquered Istanbul, then called Constantinople, from where the Byzantines had ruled the Eastern Roman Empire for more than 1,000 years.

The conquest transformed the city, once the heart of the Byzantine realm, into the capital of the new Ottoman Empire. Ankara has accused the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) of orchestrating last July's coup attempt in Turkey, which martyred 250 people and injured nearly 2,200.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015. Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of some 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children.