Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairperson Devlet Bahçeli on Thursday defended his recent use of the term “founding leader” regarding imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, saying it was meant as a metaphor within terror-free Türkiye initiative.
Speaking to OdaTV, Bahçeli described the initiative as “a straight line between two points,” emphasizing that a harsh tone could damage the process. “If the line between these two points is straight, everything becomes clearer. If our language hardens, the line bends,” he stated.
Bahçeli also stressed that the controversial phrase aimed to illustrate the need for moderation rather than praise any individual.
‘’That’s why I used that expression. There will be no winners or losers, only the Republic of Türkiye will win,’’ he added.
Bahçeli remarked that the process is proceeding well, underlining that national unity and stability remain top priorities in the terror-free Türkiye vision.
The terror-free Türkiye initiative was suggested by Bahçeli last year, in a bid to end more than 40 years of the campaign of terrorism by the PKK.
The initiative aims to tackle the issue at a time of new regional opportunities and threats for Türkiye.
The plan focuses on persuading the terrorist group to lay down arms, while future steps will likely depend on the actions of the PKK and its affiliates, from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) to the Syrian wing of the group that grew in strength after the unrest began in the neighboring country in 2011.
Representatives from various think tanks, foundations, political parties and authorities attended the sessions of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Committee at Parliament. The committee, established to discuss suggestions for advancing the terror-free Türkiye initiative, will soon conclude its work, its chair, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, said recently.
