ANKARA, Thursday, June 25, 2026 (WNP): Türkiye’s Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi has underscored the importance of justice, the rule of law and public trust as the country graduated more than 13,600 police officers during a ceremony at the Police Academy’s Gölbaşı Complex in Ankara.

Addressing the graduation ceremony in the presence of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, senior state officials and members of Türkiye’s security establishment, the minister said the newly commissioned officers would serve the country’s security, peace and the continuity of the state with honour and dedication.

The ceremony marked the graduation of 13,610 police officers, including 2,320 women and 11,290 men, along with 43 guest police chiefs from 11 friendly and brotherly countries, who also completed professional training at the academy.

Congratulating the graduates, Çiftçi said each officer would represent the strength of the Turkish state through justice, the trust of the nation through compassion and the honour of the police uniform through an unwavering sense of duty.

“May Almighty Allah grant each of them success in serving our noble nation, our state and humanity,” he said.

The minister described policing as far more than a profession, calling it a lifelong commitment to protecting society and safeguarding public confidence.

“Being a police officer is not merely about wearing a uniform; it is, above all, a great responsibility carried in the heart and a lifelong promise made to the people,” he said.

Quoting the late Turkish poet Abdurrahim Karakoç, Çiftçi said the mission of the police was to ensure a peaceful and secure Türkiye for future generations.

He added that a police officer symbolizes reassurance for children, hope for mothers and the unwavering resolve of the state against crime and criminality.

Recalling key milestones in Türkiye’s history—including the Battles of Manzikert, Gallipoli and Sakarya, as well as the resistance against the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016—the minister said the duty entrusted to the graduates was rooted in patriotism, justice and national unity.

“The essence of this duty is love for the homeland, its foundation is justice and its horizon is a great and powerful Türkiye,” he remarked.

Emphasizing the importance of constitutional governance, Çiftçi echoed President Erdoğan’s longstanding call for strict adherence to the law in the discharge of public responsibilities.

He said the academy had trained officers who would take the law as their guide, justice as their measure and loyalty to the nation as their highest honour.

“The unity of the nation can only be safeguarded through strong justice, sound discipline and a security organization that inspires public confidence,” the minister concluded.