One day after government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli assured his commitment to the People’s Alliance with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pledged full solidarity within the alliance, as well.
“We are moving forward to our target for a terror-free Türkiye in full solidarity,” Erdoğan told a parliamentary group meeting of the AK Party in Ankara on Wednesday. The terror-free Türkiye initiative was launched by Bahçeli last year and is fully endorsed by the state.
“We won’t allow a breach (in the wall of) the People’s Alliance,” Erdoğan told a jubilant crowd after he sent a “heartfelt thanks” to Bahçeli for his speech on Tuesday that “disappointed” those hoping for a rift in the alliance, “especially despicable members of FETÖ,” he said, referring to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which tried three times to overthrow the governments led by Erdoğan.
The People’s Alliance was officially formed in 2018 for elections, but its roots date back to the 2016 coup attempt, where Bahçeli voiced staunch support for the government against the attempt and joined Erdoğan at a major pro-democracy rally in the wake of the attempt. In 2017, the MHP endorsed a constitutional referendum.
Bahçeli's absence from Republic Day events hosted by Erdoğan and his earlier hawkish statement calling for annexation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to Türkiye, unlike Erdoğan's embracing approach toward the new administration in the divided island, fueled rumors of a rift in the alliance. But for Bahçeli, these rumors, perpetuated by opposition circles, proved to be a litmus test to reveal the adversaries of the alliance.
Erdoğan on Wednesday had nothing but praise for Bahçeli, especially for his "brave and seminal contribution to the terror-free Türkiye goal."
"I would like to say it clearly: We will not allow a breach in the walls of the People's Alliance formed on the night of July 15," he said, referring to the 2016 coup attempt by FETÖ's military infiltrators. "We will keep disappointing those hoping for cracks and division in the alliance," he underlined.
The president underlined that everything "continued on its course" in the terror-free Türkiye initiative, and they were not allowing "open and secret attempts and provocations aiming to undermine the process." He assured security and defense were prioritized in the initiative and that they were taking bold steps to end a great scourge that had hurt Türkiye for almost half a century. He noted his recent meeting with two lawmakers from the PKK-linked Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) last week and hailed it as "a constructive discussion."
Bahçeli's efforts to end PKK terrorism bore fruit last February when the terrorist group's jailed ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, approved Bahçeli's call to dissolve the terrorist group. Öcalan's message to the terrorist group whose leadership lives in the mountainous northern Iraq led to the PKK's declaration of dissolution in May and last summer, the group started disarmament with a symbolic ceremony where a group of terrorists burned their weapons in northern Iraq. The president said the initiative went through "important developments in the past two weeks," referring to the PKK's announcement of withdrawal from Türkiye.
"It is obvious that we have reached a new stage in our goal of a terror-free Türkiye and a terror-free region. Everyone should exert efforts and support the process," he said. He stressed that the People's Alliance did what it could and would continue efforts to that extent.
Erdoğan also praised the success of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Committee of Parliament set up for tackling the steps in the initiative. The committee has heard from a diverse group of people since August and will convene again on Thursday. Bahçeli, on Tuesday, has stated that the committee may also engage with Öcalan, amid reports that lawmakers from the committee may visit the PKK leader to discuss the initiative. Erdoğan said on Wednesday that all issues related to the initiative should be discussed and "nobody should be excluded and all ideas, however controversial they may be, should be heard."
Erdoğan also underlined the importance of a legal road map that the committee would draft. So far, the PKK's disarmament process has been unilateral, although the terrorist group and its supporters repeatedly called for moves from the state, such as an amnesty for PKK members. Turkish authorities rule out a general amnesty but signalled a leniency may be granted to imprisoned members of the PKK.
