Main political event in Türkiye in the last week.
Main political event in Türkiye in the last week.
The PKK terrorist organization has begun to disarm following a call from its imprisoned founding leader Abdullah Öcalan. The first disarmament ceremony took place on July 11 in the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah.
A group of PKK members put their weapons into a metal container and set them on fire in a symbolic ceremony.
The ceremony, which lasted approximately 20 minutes, was attended by officials from Türkiye, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, along with representatives from Türkiye’s DEM Party, the Vatan Party, and various associations and civil society organizations.
A statement was delivered by the group, the “Peace and Democratic Society Group” which is the new naming used by the former PKK leadership after the declaration of dissolvement of the organization, during the ceremony. It reads:
“From this point forward, we are laying down our weapons of our own free will in order to pursue our struggle for freedom, democracy, and socialism through democratic politics and the rule of law, and based on the enactment of democratic integration laws.”
The disarmament process is expected to be completed within a few months.
The PKK’s decision to lay down arms has triggered a wide range of reactions.
Full support from Erdoğan
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the PKK’s disarmament process in a speech delivered on July 12, offering important insights into what lies ahead.
Referring to past mistakes regarding the Kurdish issue, Erdoğan stated the following about the current disarmament process:
“Since the PKK’s first attack in 1984, terrorism in Türkiye has escalated day by day. Governments came and went, all vowing to eradicate terrorism. Unsolved murders, the infamous white Toros cars, villages burned to the ground, families forced to flee overnight: these were among the misguided policies. Instead of ending terrorism, they fueled it. We all paid the price for those mistakes. Terror attacks destabilized Türkiye. The economic cost reached as high as 2 trillion dollars. Most importantly, the terrorist organization inflicted deep wounds on our nation’s peace, unity, integrity, and brotherhood. We not only lost lives, but we also lost stability. Our nation’s cohesion and tranquility suffered greatly from the terrorist organization. When we came to power after the 2002 elections, we made the fight against terrorism one of our top priorities.”
Erdoğan continued:
“As of yesterday, the 47-year scourge of terrorism has entered its final chapter. Let us not forget this is a new day. A new page has been turned in our history. The Republic of Türkiye has tried every path to end terrorism, but none succeeded. Let me be clear: the ‘Terror-Free Türkiye’ initiative we have pursued in recent years is not the result of any negotiation or bargain. We are acting with the utmost caution. We will not allow the honor and dignity of the Turkish state to be trampled.”
“Turkish-Kurdish-Arab brotherhood”
In the latter part of his speech, Erdoğan touched upon the shared history of Turks, Kurds, and Arabs in the context of recent regional developments. He stated:
“We are on a long journey. Open the pages of history and see when we were united, no force could stand against our swords and our battle cries. When we formed alliances, the wind from our horses spread a cool breeze from the Adriatic to the China Sea. If Turks, Kurds, and Arabs stand together, then Turks exist, Kurds exist, Arabs exist. But when they drift apart, defeat follows. The Crusaders attacked Islamic lands precisely because Turks, Kurds, and Arabs were divided. Every time we drifted apart; we were defeated. We lost Jerusalem. Damascus is our shared city. Diyarbakır is our shared city. Mosul, Kirkuk, Ankara, and Istanbul are all our shared cities. The War of National Liberation was a joint struggle and a shared victory of Turks, Kurds, Arabs, and many other Muslim peoples. Together, we engraved the line ‘There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger’ in our hearts. No one can divide Türkiye, but they have made us lose time. They tried to drive a wedge between Turks and Kurds. Who gained anything in 41 years? History is repeating itself. Turks and Kurds are embracing one another once again. The spirit of Manzikert, the alliance of Jerusalem, is being revived today. The dawn of a great and powerful Türkiye is breaking. The Republic of Türkiye is the common home of us all.”
Erdoğan also stated that a cooperation had been formed between the AKP, MHP, and the DEM Party in the ongoing process. Regarding its next steps, he said:
“A commission will be established in the Grand National Assembly. We will begin discussing the legal framework of this process under the roof of Parliament.”
Bahçeli thanks the DEM party
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the coalition partner of the AKP, also made a statement welcoming the PKK’s decision to disarm. The following were among the most notable points in his remarks:
“The founding leadership of the PKK has kept its word and recognized global and regional threats in a timely manner. The DEM Party has maintained a prudent and responsible political stance, remaining sincerely committed to the goal of a terror-free Türkiye. Through balanced and thoughtful statements, it has taken its place on the side of our thousand-year brotherhood.
Our President and his government have embraced with devotion the process, which has now become a policy of the state.
As of today, groups from the separatist terrorist organization have begun to surrender their weapons. This marks the start of historic developments that signal the end of a dark era. Political and ideological actors embarked on slander and denial disillusioned in the face of expanding climate of peace and stability.”
Opposition voices diverse messages on the process
The leader of the largest opposition party CHP, Özgür Özel, expressed that they “welcome the symbolic disarmament of the PKK.”
Özel emphasized that the process “must be managed under the roof of the parliament with no party or segment of society excluded, nothing hidden from the public, and with social consensus, taking fast and decisive steps.” CHP is expected to participate in the parliamentary commission to be established for the continuation of the process.
Another support for the process came from the leader of the Vatan Party, Doğu Perinçek. Perinçek made the following remarks:
“We are at the beginning of a new process. It is important to set the right goal here. A permanent and definitive solution is integration with the state and the nation.
(…)
No one expects the process to be problem-free because there are enemies of this process. The US is there, Israel is there. There is a ground for separatism left over from the past, and the US and Israel want to exploit this.”
Perinçek continued:
“The state and the government both have important duties and responsibilities. The government must carry out this process within the strategy of integration with the Republic of Türkiye and the Turkish Nation. When we set the right goal, the solutions will be correct, the actions will be correct, and the steps will be correct.
(…)
Abdullah Öcalan also courageously set the right goal and said, ‘The PKK Congress should be convened to lay down arms and dissolve the PKK for integration with the state and society’.
Perinçek also shared with the public his proposal for an amnesty law concerning the disarmed PKK members.
The Good Party, on the other hand, opposed the process. Party’s Chairman Müsavat Dervişoğlu criticized the process, interpreting the PKK’s expectation of legal and constitutional arrangements from the Turkish Parliament as “the unveiling of negotiations behind closed doors”. Dervişoğlu said, “The Republic of Türkiye’s legitimate counterpart is not this murderous organization.”
Victory Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ likened the ceremony to a “barbecue party,” stating:
“Burning 30 Kalashnikov in a ‘barbecue party’ does not mean terrorism ends. It does not mean the PKK has disarmed. Because the PKK is not just the PKK. There is PJAK, PYD, and PÇDK… These are all branches of the terrorist organization called KCK. None of these have laid down arms. The PKK has handed over its heavy and advanced weapons to the PYD and PJAK. At the same time, terrorists specialized in using these weapons have also been transferred to PJAK and PYD.”
New constitution debates in the process
Meanwhile, alongside the PKK’s disarmament, debates about a new constitution continue.
Speaker of the Parliament Numan Kurtulmuş made remarks regarding the preparations for a new constitution. Kurtulmuş said: “Thankfully, I see with great satisfaction that we have made significant progress.
CHP leader Özgür Özel claimed that Erdoğan wants a new constitution to be able to run again in the next elections. Özel shared some details of his talk with Erdoğan:
“Erdoğan proposed to us to work on the new constitution. I said, ‘I don’t work on a new constitution with someone who doesn’t comply with the existing one’.
(…)
There are problems that need to be solved in Türkiye. We told Erdoğan those. We are the country’s leading party. We told him that we could solve these problems together. ‘As the opposition, we will be constructive and support when you take steps on these issues’ we said. But after listening to us Erdoğan said nothing but, ‘What about the constitution?’”
Presidential Chief Advisor Mehmet Uçum claimed in a statement that there is no need for a new constitution for Erdoğan to run again in elections. Uçum said:
“Let’s keep reminding until the lie that ‘A new constitution is needed for President Erdoğan’s candidacy in the upcoming general elections’ is abandoned: There is no need for a new constitution or to amend the existing one for President Erdoğan to run again. The current constitution already provides this right. This exceptional candidacy right comes into effect when the Parliament decides to renew elections a certain time before the general elections scheduled for May 7, 2028. For example, if in the last quarter of 2027 or early 2028, the Parliament decides to renew elections with the vote of at least 360 deputies, and if President Erdoğan prefers, he can run for the last time.”