Ahlat, a small town in the southeastern province of Bitlis where Seljuks set out for a decisive battle against the Byzantine forces, hosted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday. The Turkish leader, who was scheduled to attend two days of celebrations on the anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt) in Bitlis and nearby Muş, highlighted the liberation of the region from another threat: terrorism.

"Old Türkiye is no more. We left behind the days when our people were discriminated against for their ethnicity, faith and language. Days when politics are steered by threat of terrorism are over," Erdoğan said in an event for the inauguration of several public service projects and factories in central Bitlis before heading to Ahlat where he met a fervent crowd celebrating the 953rd anniversary of the battle.

Bitlis is among provinces affected by decades of PKK terrorism, which killed thousands over the past four decades in the region and sought support from ethnic Kurds. Türkiye’s counterterrorism policies in the past stirred up controversy and helped the PKK draw support over what it called the "fight for the rights" of the Kurdish community. Erdoğan’s successive governments in the past two decades minimized the PKK’s presence in the region through efficient counterterrorism operations and helped revive the stunted economic growth of southeastern Türkiye.

"The reality is more clear now. As the dark shadow of terrorism is removed from eastern and southeastern regions, we can see the beauty. Concerns are replaced with confidence. The region is no longer condemned to backwardness. Investments are growing. Gabar, which has been a hub of terrorism, is now a hub of oil extraction," Erdoğan said, referring to a mountainous region in the southeast where crude oil was discovered two years ago.

"Half of the oil production of Türkiye is from Gabar. This is not a coincidence. It all happened thanks to our citizens standing strong against terrorism. You backed those serving you and we brought Bitlis and the rest of Türkiye to where it stands now," said Erdoğan, whose ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) scored a rare victory in the region in the latest municipal elections.

Erdoğan underlined that Türkiye paid a hefty price for the gains it achieved and they would not allow anything to undermine those gains. "We will not let the resurrection of the terrorism threat. We will never allow those missing the old days," he said.

Submissive opposition

In his speech, Erdoğan also criticized the opposition parties, particularly the main rival Republican People’s Party (CHP), both for their support for "a provocateur" and for the actions of CHP’s Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu. Erdoğan said the opposition had absolutely submitted to "a provocateur insulting the nation," referring to Workers’ Party of Türkiye (TİP) lawmaker Ahmet Şık who called AK Party lawmakers "terrorists" in an address to Parliament earlier this month, triggering a brawl. Erdoğan said the opposition rallied around Şık and "stopped short of declaring him a defender of democracy."

"A bunch of marginal people hold the opposition hostage. They are severely disconnected from the public but our nation knows what they are up to," Erdoğan said.

On Imamoğlu, Erdoğan said the opposition, which lectured the government on the environment for years, was now giving away the environmental treasure of Istanbul to the rich. He was speaking about a controversial case involving a villa overlooking the Bosporus. The Imamoğlu administration is accused of turning a blind eye to illegal additions to the place owned by a Russian tycoon. Authorities have launched legal action over charges of causing environmental pollution at the venue while the Istanbul municipality of Imamoğlu claimed they were not aware of the illegal construction at first as they issued only a reparation permit.

The Bosporus is crucial to Istanbul’s landscape for several reasons. It serves as a natural boundary, defining the city's unique position straddling two continents. The area surrounding the Bosporus is home to numerous historical sites, green spaces and scenic views that contribute to Istanbul's global appeal and cultural heritage. Protecting this area is essential for maintaining the city’s aesthetic value and historical integrity.