Addressing lawmakers on Wednesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pointed out a silver lining in the terror-free Türkiye initiative that aims dissolution of the PKK terrorist group.
Erdoğan’s remarks came one day after a government ally offered to visit the PKK’s jailed ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, to move forward with the initiative. Erdoğan said a parliamentary committee tasked with preparing guidelines for the initiative would make “the right decision” when it convened on Friday. The parliamentary committee has faced heightening calls for a hearing from Öcalan himself as it nears completion of its task.
“Winners of terror-free Türkiye initiative will be Turks, Kurds, all communities in Türkiye, region,” Erdoğan said.
The terror-free Türkiye initiative was launched last year by government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) when its leader, Devlet Bahçeli, implied that the government should facilitate access to Öcalan, so that he could call on the PKK to lay down arms. Bahçeli’s proposal was endorsed by Erdoğan, who had earlier hinted at the initiative with messages of unity between Turks and Kurds. The PKK has long justified its campaign of terrorism as a fight for the rights of Kurds. Both Bahçeli and Erdoğan have repeatedly said that ending terrorism and maintaining unity were essential for Türkiye’s "home front” in the face of Israeli aggression in the region, pointing to the fact that Israel may target Türkiye next as part of its expansionist policies. Öcalan responded positively to Bahçeli’s call and urged the PKK to lay down arms. In July, the PKK started the disarmament process with a ceremony in northern Iraq. The group's disarmament is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Earlier this month, the group announced it withdrew from a key stronghold in northern Iraq near the Turkish border, one month after it announced its withdrawal from Turkish territories. Meanwhile, the Turkish Parliament set up a committee in August to handle the initiative. In the coming months, the committee is expected to draft a report that will serve as a guide to Parliament to take the next steps in the initiative, namely, regulations or bills to accelerate the process.
Bahçeli surprised his political rivals on Tuesday when he announced he may hold talks with Öcalan, a man he publicly despised in the past. Addressing lawmakers of his party at Parliament on Tuesday, Bahçeli said he wouldn't take offense at going to Imralı, referring to the island prison where Öcalan is incarcerated. Bahçeli’s remarks are yet another significant shift in the discourse of a veteran nationalist politician who once called for the hanging of Öcalan. As a matter of fact, he launched the terror-free Türkiye initiative by shaking hands with lawmakers of a party he once called for closure for its links to the PKK.
In his speech on Tuesday, Bahçeli said there should not be foot-dragging in the committee’s visit to Imralı, as he earlier called on the committee to hold indirect or direct talks with Öcalan in one of its future sessions. The committee and political parties have been largely quiet on the matter. while Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, whose ministry oversees prison visits, told reporters on Tuesday that it was up to the parliamentary committee to decide upon the matter.
“If we don’t contact one of the main actors in the initiative, I wonder how we will make progress in it. If the committee cannot make up its mind, if everyone insists on silence, I will go to Imrali with three friends of mine,” Bahçeli said.
He did not elaborate on why he would pick three colleagues, but the MHP lawmakers broke into applause as Bahçeli said they supported his decision. “If the need arises, I won’t abstain from going to Imrali and sit on the same table (with Öcalan),” Bahçeli said. Last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hailed a "new phase" in the terror-free Türkiye initiative after the PKK announced its withdrawal from Türkiye. "It appears we have reached a new crossroads on the path toward a terror-free Türkiye," Erdogan said last month.
Parliament is scheduled to hold a new session on Friday, where it will decide how to approach the matter after hearing from Öcalan himself.
Erdoğan on Wednesday hailed the progress in the initiative. "Türkiye became stronger abroad when it reinforced its home front. By solving our chronic problems, we are becoming more skilled at solving problems abroad," Erdoğan said.
"We are at the threshold of a new leap. With the terror-free Türkiye initiative, we will save our country from a great trouble that has lasted for more than half a century. We are meticulously planning our steps," Erdoğan told lawmakers of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
The initiative appears unilateral so far and is being held in secrecy. Turkish intelligence is tasked with monitoring the PKK's disarmament. "We are responsible for the 86 million people (of Türkiye). We are engaged in sincere efforts and thankfully, we have made good progress so far. The establishment of the parliamentary committee with a wide representation added a new momentum to the initiative," he said. Erdoğan noted that the committee heard every opinion, from views of business world and human rights organizations to families of terror victims. He also lauded "common sense" demonstrated by pro-PKK Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which acted as intermediary between Öcalan and the Parliament.
The president, however, singled out Bahçeli as the top contributor to the initiative. "Since day one, he has made unique contributions to the initiative with his bold statements. We served as guides of the initiative and during this process, we overcame many challenges, both known to the public and unknown to the public," he said.
"It is time to get rid of the scourge of terrorism. This responsibility now lies with our lawmakers. All political parties have an important mission to make a climate of peace permanent. The AK Party views this as an issue beyond politics," he said. "Our only goal is removing this bloody dagger in the heart of our nation, and we are closer than ever to this goal," he concluded.
Bahçeli's proposal to meet Öcalan himself was backed by the DEM Party on Tuesday, while a lawmaker from the AK Party proposed to accompany the MHP leader. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), which has lawmakers in the terror-free Türkiye committee at Parliament, was quiet while its chair, Özgür Özel, told reporters on Tuesday that they would assess Bahçeli's proposal at an intraparty meeting on Thursday.
