The terror-free Türkiye initiative launched last year by government ally Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli entered a new stage this month when terrorist group PKK started laying down arms. As Parliament prepares to set up a committee to oversee technicalities regarding the initiative, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said on Wednesday that they would provide support to the committee’s work. Tunç also flatly rejected claims that the state negotiated with the PKK.
“The state does not negotiate. (Disarmament) is not linked to any condition (set by the PKK),” Tunç told broadcaster NTV in an interview.
Bahçeli, who echoed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in his warning about vigilance against Israel’s expansionist policies in the region, has called upon for the formation of a “united home front” in Türkiye before he made his unprecedented call for terror-free Türkiye. He reasoned that Turks, Kurds and all segments of society should maintain unity against external threats. The PKK, for decades, exploited the Kurdish community, claiming to fight for their “rights” and recruited disillusioned youth from the community who, for a long time, were deprived of their right,s such as education in their own language at public schools.
The MHP has a hard-line policy about the fight against terrorism and long advocated strict military, law enforcement measures to contain the PKK threat. Thus, Bahçeli’s call to the PKK’s jailed ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, to convince the PKK to lay down arms surprised many. Yet, both Bahçeli and the government insist that the terrorist group would not be tolerated during the process of the initiative and will be responded to in kind if it carries out any terror attack or reneges on their pledge to abandon arms.
Tunç said it was not easy to reach the point where the PKK consented to dissolution and underlined that the task of the new committee in Parliament was important. “It is essential that the process is shaped by recommendations of the lawmakers and decisions and regulations follow them. Türkiye has to get rid of the terrorism problem. For more than 40 years, terrorism has been the biggest obstacle on the path to development,” he said.
“The next phase is important. In particular, monitoring the disarmament process and ensuring it is permanent is critical. For this reason, all state institutions are closely and sensitively following this process in full coordination. Without coordination among institutions, success is not possible. The National Intelligence Organization (MIT), our ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of National Defense are evaluating this matter in complete coordination and taking the necessary steps,” he said.
“The terrorist group’s decision to disband and lay down arms is not the result of any negotiation. The state does not engage in such bargaining. We have always said this is not a give-and-take process. There is no question of ‘this will be done in exchange for that.’ Everything done so far has been for the benefit of our people. Our nation knows very well that President Erdoğan, the People's Alliance (of the AK Party and MHP) and Parliament will never take a step against the people. Whatever is required by the rule of law, the Constitution, our laws and regulations will be carried out. When the commission is established in Parliament begins its work, opinions will be expressed there. Parliament is in full control. The steps to be taken and legislative arrangements to be made are matters for Parliament’s discretion. If there is a need for legislative regulation, we are ready to provide the necessary technical support,” he said.
The minister also clarified speculation regarding the release of Veysi Aktaş, a PKK member who was imprisoned in Imrali Island near Istanbul with Öcalan. Aktaş was released last week from Imralı, where he was transferred to in 2015. He has been imprisoned since 1994. Tunç denied it was a precedent for the mass release of PKK members, as some social media users claimed. “(Aktaş) was sentenced for killing two PKK members accused of espionage within the terrorist group. The conditional release period for this sentence is 30 years. The convict applied for parole after serving 30 years and was often denied. After 32 years, release is granted. Therefore, he was released after serving his sentence,” he said.
Tunç also responded to questions about juvenile offenders amid public outcry over underage offenders who sometimes walk away with lenient sentences for violent crimes. The issue has been under the spotlight, especially after the murder of Ahmet Minguzzi, a 14-year-old boy who was stabbed to death in Istanbul in January by two boys at the ages of 15 and 16. The boy's family is campaigning for harsher sentences for perpetrators known as “children pushed to crime,” as underage offenders are described under Turkish laws. Tunç said they were working on several proposals to amend the laws to accommodate the public demand for harsher sentences.
“The trial of children is important, both for juvenile offenders and child victims. We will evaluate these with our scientists, lawyers, academics, practitioners and members and chairs of relevant first-instance, appellate and Supreme Court chambers. Taking into account societal sensitivities, issues such as deterrence, child protection and possibly new categories for ages 15-18 or different regulations for 16-18 are being discussed. No final decision has been made yet. There are various proposals. We will evaluate all suggestions, prepare alternatives and drafts, and present them to Parliament and our lawmakers for consideration. The key point is ensuring justice in criminal matters for children.”
