President Erdoğan: Reconciliation process is not concession process


"The reconciliation process is not a bargain or a concession process," President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday.There are clear borders and a framework to the reconciliation process, Erdoğan said, speaking of the process that was launched last year, aiming to secure an end to the decades-long conflict with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people. The process was interrupted after illegal demonstrations erupted in early October across Turkey as a sign of solidarity with Syria's besieged Kurdish populated town of Kobani."Anyone who wants to take part in the reconciliation process, who wants to contribute to the process, may be involved," said Erdoğan.But those who would sabotage the reconciliation process, face the judgment of the state, as the Turkish nation would not tolerate such actions, Erdoğan said."Our nation will not tolerate impudence, especially a lack of order, endless inappropriateness and contradictory requests," he said.The president also said new judicial and security legislation would guarantee the country protection from "terrorist threats" or street demonstrations that erupt into violent events, like those that happened in October.A week of violent demonstrations in October killed at least 38 civilians and two police officers and damaged vehicles, state buildings, political party offices and shops across Turkey.The new bill package is to restructure the Interior Ministry and the Turkish Police department and to introduce measures to prevent crime, imposing penalties for possession of weapons and for incitement to violence and gives more power to law-enforcement officials, including police and prosecutors.President Erdoğan spoke at the fourth Merchants and Craftsmen Council at the Ministry of Customs and Trade, which gathers every two years in November. The meeting was held in Turkey's capital, Ankara."Tradesmen and craftsmen are the ones who express the country's nationalism and spirit," Erdoğan said.Erdoğan explained that if these people were not part of Turkey, then nothing would be left of the country's history."You will not be able to find such deep-rooted traditions of merchants and craftsmen in any other country or civilization," he said.Erdoğan stated that there was no discrimination among Turkish, Kurdish or Arab craftsmen, as all are brothers.The PKK is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU and U.S.