Türkiye’s intelligence chief has said Ankara’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative is being pursued as a state policy, stressing that the country will continue combating all terrorist groups simultaneously while advancing a broader regional security strategy.
Speaking about the evolving regional security challenges, National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalın noted last week that Türkiye has drawn lessons from ongoing regional crises and continues to strengthen its institutional capabilities to address emerging threats.
Addressing the latest stage of the terror-free Türkiye initiative, Kalın said the country had passed several critical milestones, including the PKK’s decision to dissolve and lay down arms, the withdrawal of its cadres from Türkiye and the start of a dismantling effort in northern Iraq.
“The terror-free Türkiye initiative is being carried out as a state policy,” Kalın stressed. He added that the authorities remain confident that the state's roadmap will succeed with broad public support, patience and a constructive approach across society.
The initiative was launched by government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli in 2024. PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan later agreed to Bahçeli’s invitation and called on the group to lay down arms.
After Öcalan’s landmark message in February 2025, the PKK consented to start the disarmament process. Since then, Turkish authorities have monitored the full disarmament process and are expected to implement laws to facilitate the initiative, including through possible lenient sentencing of PKK members not involved in acts of terrorism.
Before the initiative, the PKK terrorist group waged a four-decade terror campaign that killed over 40,000 people and sowed discord both at home and across the border in Syria and Iraq.
Kalın said efforts to finalize the process would continue with determination while maintaining caution.
He added that Türkiye’s security doctrine extends beyond border protection and is built around maintaining regional balance, preventing crises at their source and pursuing solutions through what he described as a rational and measured approach in international affairs.
Touching on developments in Syria and Iraq, he said the changing regional environment could create opportunities for preventive measures against terrorist and criminal networks that may pose threats to Türkiye and the wider region.
The intelligence chief also highlighted efforts to strengthen the country’s defense and intelligence capabilities, saying Türkiye continues to expand both human and technical intelligence capacity across areas ranging from counterterrorism and counterespionage to cybersecurity.
