As is well known, Türkiye has endured persistent terrorist violence for approximately 40 years, marked by fluctuations in intensity over time. What began as a primarily domestic threat four decades ago has gradually evolved into a globalized phenomenon. The PKK terrorist organization, initially rooted in Türkiye, expanded its presence to Syria and the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon and eventually gained a foothold in Iraq following the Iraq occupation of the U.S. Over these decades, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 50,000 people, maintaining its role as a perpetrator of relentless violence.
During the Arab Spring, there was a "reconciliation process" in Türkiye. The general philosophy of this process was that the PKK would dissolve itself and the People's Democratic Party (HDP), in a similar ideological direction, which was currently in Parliament then, would continue to do politics in Türkiye.
In fact, as all the framework agreements on this issue had been completed, unexpectedly, the government crisis and civil war broke up in Syria, and the unitary state structure was disintegrated. International powers like the U.S., Russia, Iran and many small groups entered Syria, and especially the PKK disrupted the "reconciliation process" to take advantage of this conjunctive situation.
A highly intriguing situation has arisen in this context. Iran and the United States formed an alliance against Türkiye. The U.S., Iran, the former Syrian regime and former Iraqi President Jalal Talabani came together to draw a vision for the PKK. They suggested to the PKK to abandon the national reconciliation process in Türkiye in return for a new regional state of Kurds in Syria, Iran, Iraq and Türkiye. It is like a copy or a projection of the historical case in which the British used Mullah Mustafa Barzani to establish a Kurdish state during World War I...
The PKK restarted its direct violent actions in Türkiye. It abolished the reconciliation process. In particular, on his return from a U.S. trip, HDP Chair Selahattin Demirtaş launched a campaign against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with the motto: “We shall not make you president.” He was never in favor of the reconciliation process from then on.
In the intervening time, not only the PKK but also the Gülenist Terrorist group (FETÖ) and Daesh launched attacks on Türkiye whenever a problem arose in Türkiye-U.S. relations. Türkiye navigated these challenging years by leveraging its formidable military presence. It achieved significant success against the PKK in Syria and effectively neutralized the FETÖ terrorist group following the attempted coup.
A decade has passed since those depressive times. Türkiye has emerged economically stronger and with an unprecedentedly powerful military. It expanded its global influence gradually while gaining a deeper understanding of its allies and adversaries. Over this period, Türkiye thoroughly assessed the true capabilities of key states, including the U.S., France and Iran, developing a realistic perspective on the global balance of power.
Moreover, Türkiye, once more, reliant on NATO's collective framework, has increasingly demonstrated a willingness to pursue its national interests with greater independence, signaling a shift toward a more autonomous and assertive foreign policy.
A recent survey we conducted on this topic has yielded some fascinating findings. Most notably, an overwhelming 95% of Turkish citizens expressed consensus on fundamental concepts such as "the national integrity of Türkiye," "living under one flag," "the Republic of Türkiye as their state," "the flag as their flag," and "the homeland as their homeland." This remarkable agreement spans across ethnic lines, including both Kurds and Turks.
The survey also reveals a strong belief in Türkiye that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is the leader capable of resolving the issue of terrorism. Furthermore, the findings indicate that Kurds living in Türkiye do not aspire to establish a separate state. Instead, their main desire is to coexist with the Turkish people in a democratic and inclusive environment.
With responses from 5,000 participants nationwide, the survey provided extensive data and insights. One of the most striking conclusions, however, is that the so-called Kurdish issue in Türkiye is, for all practical purposes, resolved. What remains is merely to formalize its conclusion. The vision articulated by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appears to mark a turning point – signaling the decline of terrorism and strengthening political stability and democracy. Our findings suggest that the timing of such a vision overlaps with a consensus already revealed within society.
Victor Hugo has a valuable quote: “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” The idea of ending terrorism and building the future together by Turks and Kurds is precisely the idea whose time has come. Survey results also confirm this.
