President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "Darülaceze, providing a home of compassion for more than 100.000 people, 30.000 of whom are children, is both a source of pride and inspiration for us."

President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş attended the opening ceremony of Darülaceze Social Living City completed in Arnavutköy.

In one of the speeches delivered at the ceremony, the President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid tribute to Sultan Abdülhamid-i Sani, who founded Darülaceze and brought a distinguished institution for the orphans to the nation and the whole humanity.

Thanking those who contributed to Darülaceze since its foundation,  the President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan added: "We are the people who believe that those doing good in this world will find good in the hereafter. We believe that the book of deeds of those who leave beneficial deeds for humanity, especially for those in need, will not be left closed even after their death."

Stating that Darülaceze, which was established 128 years ago, was such a monument, the President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: "Darülaceze, which has been a home of compassion for more than 100.000 people, 30.000 of whom are children, is both a source of pride and inspiration for us. Darülaceze is one of the leading institutions where the motto "'Let people live so that the government can live' is embodied. This is a symbolic institution embracing and protecting all in need without discriminating religion, origin, race or gender, and is a sheltered roof where everyone can take refuge."

Emphasizing that Darülaceze was one of the most beautiful structures showing the view of civilizations towards human beings, the President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "Under this roof, there is benevolence and altruism. There is an understanding of respecting a person just because they are a human being”. Emphasizing that Darülaceze was one of the most beautiful structures showing the view of civilizations towards human beings, the President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "Under this roof, there is benevolence and altruism.

Thanking the organizations providing financial support for the construction of Darülaceze Social Living City, the President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "If financial institutions had not been supporting us, we would not have been able to finish this place in such a short time, 1.5 years maximum."

Stating that the facility had horizontal, not vertical, architecture, the President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized that the facility had Seljuk, Ottoman and Republican architectural heritage. The President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "I believe that those who will live here will pray for those who serve them. The establishment of a home of compassion such as Darülaceze is, of course, also influenced by perspective on life. Accordingly, sickness as well as health, ageing as well as youth, and poverty as well as wealth are all occasions of being tested. None of us know what the future holds, what tomorrow will bring, what we will become, how we will spend the rest of life. See how the masters of the heart envision the journey of the world. 'Do not be saddened by the grief / Do not be proud by the grief / Neither the death nor the grief is permanent / O God. In this mortal world, nothing is permanent except the Almighty."

Stating that the main thing was to complete the test of the world by leaving valuable monuments such as Darülaceze, and to always be remembered with gratitude, goodness and beauty, President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the greatest wealth was neither property nor possession, but the sincere prayers of the nation: "May God bless him".

"We have served all citizens with love without discrimination"

Underlining that he, following in the footsteps of his ancestors in his political journey, had always acted with this understanding in all the duties undertaken since he was the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: "As the Holy Prophet declared in the hadith 'Hayru'n-nas men yenfeu'n-nas', 'The best of humans are those who are most beneficial to others.' is a measurement and guidance. We have served all citizens with love without any discrimination. Therefore, we have left our mark on all 81 provinces of the country with monuments and, achieved this in the infrastructure, in the superstructure. The hand of goodness of the nation has been extended to the oppressed all over the world. The flag of Türkiye's compassion has proudly been waved from Africa to Asia. Starting with the most disadvantaged and marginalized segments of society, we have worked to improve the welfare of everyone. We are proving this at the Darülaceze as well. We will prove it. It is a center where special importance is attached to holding the hands of the poor and the destitute."

 "We did not look at any of the opportunities provided as charity."

Emphasizing that Türkiye had always taken care of the relics of martyrs, heroic veterans, persons with disabilities and older persons in need of care, President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said:

"We will continue to protect it here. We have implemented many regulations in a wide range of areas such as education, rehabilitation, employment, social assistance, home care, entrepreneurship, sports and cultural activities, health and accessibility. None of the work we have done, none of the opportunities we have provided have been a charity. On the contrary, we have seen it as a recognition of rights. We have supported persons with disabilities and their families with hope homes, barrier-free day care centers and institutional care centers. I want to share some figures here to give you an idea. Do you know what the number of public care and rehabilitation centers was when we took over the duty of governing Türkiye in 2002 with the appreciation of the nation? 21. Today it is 107. In 417 public-private care centers, over 36.000 of our brothers and sisters are now receiving institutional care services. Within the scope of the home care allowance launched in 2007, we pay 5.098 TL per month to 561.752 citizens. 654 brothers and sisters are receiving services in 149 hope homes that we have realized for persons with disabilities that cannot be cared for by their families."

“Work of the 134 barrier-free day living centers is continuing"

President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that 134 barrier-free day living centers continued their activities across Türkiye, with at least one center in each province, and said, "We have many more services, projects and assistance such as these. Although the elites and those living in ivory towers may not know it, the citizens in need know and appreciate these services very well. We have never been one of those who always talk about the people, populism and the social state, but who look down on the public throughout their political lives. No matter what position we hold, we have always been close to the people, heart to heart. We have developed a new and unique understanding in the field by combining the deep-rooted traditions of government with today's social government approach."

"We will continue to be someone for those who have no one"

Pointing out that the characteristic of a social government as stated in the Constitution was fully achieved under their rule, Erdoğan continued: "Türkiye is one of the most advanced countries in the world in terms of the comprehensiveness of the social security umbrella. We are very pleased to have introduced such a system into Turkish politics and the system of governance. "We will continue to be someone for those who have no one."

President Erdoğan stated that the best example of their understanding producing services and actions instead of words is the distinguished work inaugurated today, and continued as follows:

"We have laid the foundation of Darülaceze Social Living City about 1.5 years ago, on May 20, 2022. The goal is to finish the project within a year and put it into the service of the people. However, there has been a 5-month delay due to the earthquakes that struck on February 6, in which more than 50.000 lives were lost under the ruins. Despite the catastrophic earthquakes, we have closely monitored the construction process of the project. We have given the necessary instructions to the relevant Ministry of Family and Social Services and mobilized all means to complete the project as soon as possible. Thank God, we are proud to realize the launch today. The Social Living City, the construction area of which is 145.727 square meters, has been built according to the principle of horizontal architecture. The city consists of 23 blocks with a capacity of 928 beds, including healthy, donor, bedridden, with Alzheimer's, Dementia and pediatric units. In addition to these blocks, there are mosques, churches and synagogues in the city. In addition, the donor unit consisting of 5 blocks is now positioned on 19.000 square meters, leaving a reserve area with a capacity of 400 beds."

"We have helped build an exemplary work to İstanbul and the country from every point of view"

Pointing out that walking paths, different seating groups, bicycle paths, ponds, hobby gardens were organized in the landscape area, President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "Housing units consist of rooms for a maximum of 4 people with a lounge area and a common kitchen on each floor. With its administrative buildings, polyclinics, conference centers, places of worship, rehabilitation and physical therapy centers and all other social facilities, it is clear that we have help built an exemplary work to İstanbul and the country in every respect. We consider the fact that Darülaceze Social Living City has been recognized with one of the world's most important real estate awards in public service architecture as a proof of this. I praise God for making us be a part of such a valuable service. I would like to especially thank both the ministers and Mr. Cebeci as the Darülaceze manager and his team."

Thanking everyone who contributed to the construction of Darülaceze, President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that an important point would be made and said, "As you know, Sultan Abdulhamid Khan led the auction organized to contribute to the establishment of Darülaceze with his personal belongings donated from his personal fortune. Thus, Abdulhamid Khan ensured the participation of thousands of philanthropists in this great act of charity."

Stating that Darülaceze carried out all its services with the donations of philanthropists and volunteers since then, President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: "At the groundbreaking ceremony, we expressed that we expected our philanthropists to take ownership of the project. Many of the organizations and companies responded positively to this call and said 'let us have our share in the table'. Therefore, I would like to especially thank all the donors who contributed to this project with the charity auction, the second of which took place in 2021. May my God accept the good deeds you have done in His grace."

 "The Riyadh Summit made him very uncomfortable"

Underlining that just as Türkiye took care of its own citizens, it also took care of the oppressed in the region and all over the world, starting from its neighbors, President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continued as follows:

"Just like the Jews fleeing the Inquisition five centuries ago, we have opened our doors to Christians fleeing the sectarian wars in Europe. Now, I am seeing that Netanyahu is taking two of his ministers with him, making a press release yesterday. I am seeing that he is very uncomfortable. French President Macron's statements have made him very uncomfortable. The Riyadh Summit has made him very uncomfortable. Remember what I said recently on the way back by plane! Hey Netanyahu, these are your good days. Worse days are awaiting for you. Why? Those grandfathers, those babies, those 3-year-olds, 5-year-olds wrapped in sheets, those mothers smelling the bodies of their martyred babies and laying them in their graves and harms you caused will make you suffer in the end."

President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "Netanyahu, know this, your days will end soon." What goes over the devil's back comes under his belly. And it will. We saw it clearly at the Riyadh Summit yesterday. The main goal is the unity, togetherness and solidarity of the Islamic world. However, I am going to say one more sentence which will be above all: The unity, solidarity of Türkiye is above all."

Reminding that everyone knew how their relatives who were expelled from their homeland from the Balkans to the Caucasus called out in the past, President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "We have put our arms around the oppressed, regardless of their identity, and put an effort to prevent the cruelty. Today, while we are showing one of the firmist stances against the massacres of the people of Gaza, we are approaching the issue only from a humanitarian perspective."

President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "We are calling out that children who are the joy in the family should not die. We are saying that mothers should not be hugging their children's cold bodies. We say that the fathers' hearts should not be consumed by the fire of their lost ones. Since 2007, all our efforts have been to achieve a ceasefire and a climate of peace in the region without further blood, tears and destruction."

Pointing to their solidarity with the Palestinian people at the Extraordinary Joint Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League held yesterday in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan underlined that the summit took important decisions on many issues ranging from the prosecution of war crimes committed by Israel to the uninterrupted and regular delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza with the proposals of Türkiye.

President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "The declaration of (Jewish) settlers as terrorists was the most important item in this final declaration. We will follow up on the decision."

Emphasizing that the Republic of Türkiye would continue to make efforts to establish a ceasefire and end the massacres in Gaza in the process, President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "We will shout out the truth and the right very strongly on every platform, without hesitation and regardless of the critics. I hope we will take this dignified stance one step further with the international meeting to be held in İstanbul on Wednesday under the auspices of my wife."

Underlining that he would intensify their contacts in the coming days in order to mobilize all countries with conscience and vision along with the Islamic world, President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continued as follows:

"As a country with no ounce of shame in its past, including colonialism and genocide, we are well aware of our responsibilities. Türkiye is trying to fulfill this with confident and prudent steps. At no time in the history of the nation have we ever let down the people who placed their hopes in the nation. Inshallah, we will not disappoint the oppressed in the future. We will not turn our backs on anyone who looks up to our country. May God, help and lead us."

President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wished that the inaugurated Darülaceze Social Living City would be beneficial to the whole nation, especially to its residents, and concluded his speech as follows:

"I congratulate all the ministers, the director and the contractor company's architects, engineers and workers who contributed to the construction of this distinguished building in İstanbul, and I wish God bless the benefactors. We are once again remembering Sultan Abdulhamid-i Sani with perfect decorum, I greet you with my most heartfelt feelings."

“We are carrying the heritage of the Darülaceze into the new century with the Social Living City”

In her speech, Family and Social Services Minister Göktaş reminded that the groundbreaking ceremony of the Darülaceze Social Living City, which was completed in Arnavutköy, was held in May last year with the instructions and visits of the President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Expressing that she was here today with the excitement, happiness and pride of keeping her promise, Göktaş said, "We are the heirs of a great civilization. We are a team taking inspiration and strength from the past and building the future. We are the pioneers of a cause that equips the relics of our ancestors with the requirements of the age and carries them forward. 128 years ago, we offered a model for social work to the world with Darülaceze. We are now carrying the legacy of Darülaceze, which is groundbreaking in social services, into the new century with the Social Living Cities."

Minister Göktaş thanked the President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who declared the "Century of Türkiye" the "century of compassion" and sealed it with such a precious work that had no peer in the world.

Expressing that the "century of compassion" meant to raise their voices louder than anyone else in a world where the conscience of humanity was silent and to extend a helping hand to the oppressed wherever they were in the world, Göktaş said as follows:

"Social Living City, which we have inaugurated together with you today, is one of the most precious signs of this tradition. The visitors know it. There is a pedestal in the garden of Darülaceze. This pedestal is equidistant from the church, the synagogue and the mosque. So much so that every time this door is knocked, it welcomes everyone with the same sincerity, regardless of the color of their skin, who they are, what they believe in, what language they speak. This door has welcomed guests with great love and tolerance, with a wisdom far beyond security and peace, work and food."

Göktaş stated that the Ministry witnessed one of the most horrible massacres in the history of humanity in Gaza today and said, "As Mr.President stated at the Extraordinary Joint Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League, the Israeli administration is committing crimes against humanity in front of the whole world. In Gaza, people are being killed, not to mention women, children, older persons, the sick.Their homes are being occupied. Unfortunately, 73 % of the civilians who have lost their lives in the genocide, which has been going on for exactly 37 days, are women and children."

Stating that the Israeli administration even used water as a weapon, Göktaş said, "We will continue to be the voice of Palestine and stand by the just cause of our Palestinian brothers and sisters. Therefore, we have started our initiatives to extend a hand of compassion to orphaned children in Palestine under the leadership of the Honorable First Lady Mrs. Emine Erdoğan."

Göktaş stated that the helping hand extended to the victimized children in Ukraine would undoubtedly be extended to the Palestinian children.

"This has become the door of compassion for 100.000 people"

Noting that Darülaceze, which was established with the donation made by Sultan Abdülhamit II, was an institution that was far ahead of its time, Göktaş said, "Darülaceze, which is a bridge between the past and the future, has been a door of hope for children, older persons and the sick. This institution, which Sultan Abdülhamit II gave life to, has become stronger every day with the supporters. Since its establishment, it has been a door of compassion for 100.000 people, 30.000 of whom are children. Currently, it continues to be a home for nearly 600 persons."

Göktaş continued as follows:

"With the vision of the President of the Repubublic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; the most beautiful city in the world, the most beautiful city of social life in the world is being established in Istanbul. The Social Living City has been built with the understanding of 'slow, horizontal, livable' city. Social Living City's project has also won the 'Best Public Service Architecture' award at the regional competition of the International Real Estate Awards in London."

Stating that Darülaceze Social Living City, bearing the traces of Seljuk and Ottoman architecture, consisted of 23 blocks in total, Göktaş said, "We will serve with a capacity of 928 beds in the Living City. The bed capacity is planned to be increased up to 1400 if necessary. This project is being implemented by anticipating the needs with a visionary perspective in such a period when the world population is aging rapidly. With Darülaceze Social Living City, we will produce proactive solutions to the worldwide problems related to the care services of older persons and persons with disabilities."

"The Ministry will build new campuses in accordance with the founding philosophy of the Darülaceze"

Minister Göktaş emphasized that the Ministry would ensure that Türkiye became a leading country in the field and said, "We aim to develop socially and economically for older persons and persons with disabilities through health tourism. We will support their professional development by providing high-quality education and career opportunities to trained professional staff. With the resources obtained from donations, we will build new campuses in line with the founding philosophy of Darülaceze. Social Living City is a very valuable and original model. Spreading this model with different applications is another important philosophy of ours."

"We have left a strong mark on Turkish political history"

Stating that the Ministry were working nonstop to offer every opportunity to the nation, especially to people who needed support, Göktaş said, "The civilization and social service accumulation is a road map for us. In this direction, we have left a strong mark on Turkish political history with the policy of works and services for 21 years , now under the leadership of myself. We are crowning the 100^th anniversary of the Republic with a beautiful historical work in terms of social services. Darülaceze is a legacy, a sycamore under whose shadow we grew up. We are leaving this heritage to future generations by protecting it and transforming it according to the requirements of the age."

Minister Göktaş concluded by stating that Darülaceze Social Living City would be remembered as one of the projects describing the vision of the " Century of Türkiye" in the best way.

Following the speeches, Minister Göktaş and Director of Darüleceze Hamza Cebeci presented a painting to the President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

President of the Republic of Turkey H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Minister Göktaş joined the members of the protocol to cut the ribbon after the President of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr. Ali Erbaş offered a prayer.

During the ceremony, a live link was also made to the groundbreaking ceremony of the Lodgings of Darülaceze.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan asked, "How long will it take for the foundation to be completed?" and said, "They told me that it would take 16 months, what do you say? Guess how long I requested that the buildung took. I said 1 year, maximum. In 1 year, God willing, we should finish this new project. After that, we will also hold a beautiful, magnificent opening ceremony there."

"It's not a dream, it is all a reality"

Then, President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, while pressing the foundation laying button together with the members of the protocol, said, "O God, may you grant all our brothers, ministers, directors, all of them, the whole administration, to complete these new constructions without any mishaps and accidents. As you can see, Mashallah, the concretes have started flowing from the mixer. You see, don't you? It's not a dream, it is all a reality Congratulations to all."