Addressing the parliamentary group meeting of his Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in Ankara on Tuesday, Devlet Bahçeli upped the ante in the terror-free Türkiye initiative he launched in 2024.

"If there is a need for an official status for Abdullah Öcalan, it should be defined clearly. We cannot ignore it. We have to define it in a way in favor of the state, to serve the initiative,” he said.

Bahçeli did not openly name it, but he also proposed the establishment of the title of Peace Process Coordinator, something for which Öcalan may be tasked. Öcalan is the leader of the PKK terrorist group. The PKK agreed to dissolve itself as part of the terror-free Türkiye initiative, after Öcalan, jailed for life and held in an island prison near Istanbul, urged the group to do so in a landmark statement in 2025.

Bahçeli had nothing but harsh words for Öcalan in the past, but his view of the fight against the PKK took a radical turn in autumn 2024. He first shook hands with lawmakers from a party associated with the PKK in a rare move and then invited Öcalan to Parliament in exchange for calling for the dissolution of the PKK. Öcalan did not visit Parliament, but Bahçeli’s remarks had repercussions across the political spectrum as unprecedented, coming from a nationalist politician who once called for the state to hang Öcalan.

Since the initiative began, Bahçeli has referred to Öcalan as the "founding leader” of the PKK, instead of "separatist-in-chief” as he called him in the past.

"The initiative will continue without concessions on security, but we cannot pretend there’s nothing to do regarding the status of Öcalan.

"If we want the process to be carried out, if we wish our call to be binding, it must be clearly evaluated within legal, political and moral standards. If Türkiye’s security and future are at stake, we cannot allow sudden reflexes, emotional reactions, social media noise, political uproar, baseless opposition theatrics, or uncertainties with no clear timetable,” he said.

"At this point, whatever the name of the mechanism needed, its essence must be clear. This mechanism should simultaneously safeguard social reconciliation, political normalization, democratic participation, the law of fraternity, public order, national security and a peaceful future. To put an end to these debates, I propose that it be called the "Peace Process and Politicization Coordination.” However, of course, other alternatives can also be developed. Our expectation is that the founding leadership of the PKK will assume a role under a defined framework. Because the core of the issue is the complete elimination of terrorism, the silencing of weapons, the definitive removal of terrorism from our agenda, the cleansing of politics from the tutelage of terror and the achievement of social integration,” he said.

Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, a senior lawmaker from pro-PKK Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which relayed Öcalan’s messages to the public and Parliament, welcomed Bahçeli's proposals in comments to Reuters.

"Both his assessment of the process and his renewed emphasis on the need for legislation, highlighting that this law will advance the process, are very valuable. Similarly, his reiteration of Mr. Öcalan's role in the process and his approach to linking this role with a specific ⁠status are also very valuable,” she said. "I think today's speech is one that can breathe new life into the process, ease it, and pave the way for its progress."

Türkiye was planning to start concrete work this month for legal regulations to facilitate the process. It would be based on a report of recommendations by parliament’s National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Committee. However, the terrorist group’s reported reluctance led to a pause in discussions for legal steps. Authorities, nevertheless, assure that the process did not come to a halt in its entirety.

Macron playing Napoleon

On foreign policy, Bahçeli hit out at the growing alliance between France and the Greek Cypriots. France has drawn the ire of Türkiye for its pledge to deploy troops to the divided island of Cyprus. Cyprus’ north is controlled by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Türkiye serves as a guarantor state and sides with the TRNC on issues related to sovereignty in the island. Macron was also quoted as saying that they would side with Greece in case of an attack by Türkiye, during a panel in Athens last month. The French Foreign Ministry later clarified remarks, claiming that Macron did not specify any country that Paris would counter in case of a threat to Greece.

The MHP leader said they always stood for peace, but they wouldn’t allow "fait accompli against Türkiye in the eastern Mediterranean, Aegean and Cyprus.”

"Türkiye never pursued tensions due to its principled foreign policy shaped by ‘peace at home, peace in the world,'” he said, referring to the famed quote of modern Türkiye’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. "However, a resolute Türkiye will stand against every step violating, ignoring the rights, security, maritime jurisdiction of Turkish Cypriots and the law of balance in the Aegean,” he underlined.

Bahçeli urged authorities to watch closely "security and energy contacts” between France, Greece, Greek Cypriots and Israel in the Eastern Mediterranean. "Every country is entitled to have its own foreign policy and alliances. But if those alliances aim to surround Türkiye, corner Turkish Cypriots, destabilize the Aegean or take unilateral steps in the Eastern Mediterranean, we cannot sit idly. France’s view of the region based on colonialist habits, historical complexes and anachronistic thinking of (hegemony) will not lead to stability. Mr. Macron’s attempt to act like Napoleon, something well above his political limit, will not contribute to centuries-old relations between the Turkish and French nations, which have been friends and most of the time, allies,” he said.

"If France becomes an instrument of narrow, anti-Türkiye calculations in the Eastern Mediterranean, regional peace, European security and France’s reputation will suffer. I would like to emphasize this point in particular: Greece acting with maximalist demands does not mean they are entitled under the law. The Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus, speaking on behalf of the entire island, does not create legitimacy for itself. Israel’s attempt to turn its own security concerns into a regional hostility against Türkiye does not produce lasting peace. Those who try to steer the region according to narrow calculations open new doors of risk not only for themselves but for the entire region."

Stating that Cyprus cannot be regarded merely as a negotiation topic or a diplomatic file, Bahçeli said: "Cyprus represents Türkiye’s security depth, its maritime jurisdiction areas in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Turkish Cypriots’ right to existence, and the strategic memory of the Turkish nation. Land sales in Cyprus, foreign ownership, the concentration of real estate in strategic areas, and attempts to generate economic influence cannot be seen as ordinary commercial transactions. Land is not merely a title deed; at times it is a document of sovereignty, at times a guarantee of security, and at times the right of future generations.” Calling for the demographic balance, property structure, economic independence, and security sensitivities of the TRNC to be treated as national issues, Bahçeli stated that Türkiye will not leave the rights of Turkish Cypriots to the mercy of others.

"Those who are still distracted by EU romanticism on the island should turn their eyes to the eastern shores of the Eastern Mediterranean and carefully study what is happening in Palestine and Lebanon. They will see what statelessness, lack of protection, and absence of guarantees cost a people. The security, land, sovereignty, and future of the Turkish Cypriots cannot be entrusted to any illusion, any external persuasion or any diplomatic mirage. Türkiye will protect the existence of the TRNC, will not tie its legitimate interests in the Eastern Mediterranean to the approval of others, and will not allow the legal balance in the Aegean to be eroded,” he said.