The National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Committee will meet Tuesday and Wednesday to hear from the families of martyred soldiers and civilians and veterans, Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş announced, underscoring the body’s role in advancing a “terror-free Türkiye.”
Speaking after the commission’s third session, which was held behind closed doors with Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) head Ibrahim Kalın, Kurtulmuş said the panel’s priority is to follow developments in the post-disarmament process, enact necessary reforms and discuss democratic steps for the nation’s future.
He emphasized that all decisions in the first two meetings were adopted unanimously, adding that such unity should continue as the country navigates a historic turning point.
The committee first convened on Aug. 8 with the participation of lawmakers from most parties, including the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), a key actor in the initiative due to its intricate links to the terrorist group. The AK Party, the DEM Party and the CHP presented additional members for the committee on Monday at the request of Kurtulmuş, as the opposition Good Party (IP) abstained from joining the now 51-member committee. The IP is among several small parties opposing the initiative.
Although it is not authorized to draft bills, the committee will issue recommendations to Parliament, which may subsequently discuss and adopt them as bills. One such proposal is on the status of the PKK. Media outlets reported that the ruling party would suggest redefining the PKK as “a terrorist organization in the process of dissolution and disarmament,” and that might further accelerate the initiative that began last year.
