Main political events in Türkiye in the last week.
Main political events in Türkiye in the last week.
Last week’s agenda in Türkiye largely revolved around Palestine and Syria. with the disarmament process of PKK was once again under the spotlight.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made remarks about the ongoing ceasefire process in Gaza.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s remarks on developments in Syria stood out as another important event.
Another topic was the chants to the leader of PKK in the Parliament. This sparked discussions on the PKK’s disarmament process.
Messages from President Erdoğan on Gaza
President Erdoğan made key remarks regarding the ceasefire agreement reached in Gaza and Türkiye’s role in the process.
Speaking at a ceremony in his hometown of city of Rize, Erdoğan emphasized Türkiye’s active involvement from the very beginning, saying:
“From day one, we’ve been among the countries making the greatest contribution to the process in Gaza. We held extensive talks with Hamas, and also engaged with our brotherly nations in the region, particularly Qatar and Egypt. We’ve done everything within our power to help bring peace, stability, and security to Gaza as soon as possible.
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In the end, an agreement was signed, opening the door to a lasting peace in Gaza. Despite all challenges, we see this as a major achievement, because we say, “no more bloodshed”.
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We want nothing but peace, stability, and calm in our region. What matters now is ensuring that the agreement is fully implemented. We will, God willing, take an active role during this implementation phase as well. We’ll bring our humanitarian aid currently waiting at Egypt’s El Arish Port to Gaza quickly. The more assistance we can deliver before winter sets in the better.”
Erdoğan also warned that Israel has a poor record of honoring its promises:
“They’ve repeatedly broken their word under flimsy pretexts and betrayed the agreements they signed. We are working to ensure that they don’t repeat the same mistake again. After two years of heavy bombardment, Gaza is left in ruins. We will do our part in clearing the debris and rebuilding the city. Let me underline this clearly: returning to a genocidal situation would have grave consequences. Our region, and especially Gaza, has suffered enough. Peace must be given a chance. Sabotage must be avoided.”
At another event in Rize, when the crowd began chanting, “Take us to Gaza!” Erdoğan replied, “I’ll go to Gaza first, and then you…”
Statements from Foreign Minister Fidan on Syria
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met last week in Ankara with his Syrian counterpart Esad Hasan Shaybani on October 12.
Following their meeting, the two held a joint press conference where Fidan delivered notable messages on Türkiye–Syria relations and broader regional developments.
He began his remarks by praising the new Syrian administration:
“As the countries of the region, we had offered certain recommendations to the new Syrian leadership after the fall of the Assad regime. We emphasized that Syria must cease to be a source of instability, that decisive steps should be taken in the fight against terrorism, and that no group should be excluded. We are pleased to see that the Syrian government under President Shara has taken positive steps in this regard and has shown openness to cooperation. Syria’s engagement at both regional and international levels continues to grow stronger by the day. The most recent example of this was President Shara’s address at the United Nations General Assembly, which marked a historic moment.”
Touching on Israel’s military actions in Syria and the issue of territorial integrity, Fidan continued:
“Israel’s aggression toward Syria remains one of the most pressing problems facing the country. In today’s meeting, we discussed these unlawful acts and assessed efforts to establish stability in southern Syria. Achieving peace and security in Syria will only be possible through respect for the country’s territorial integrity, unity, and sovereignty. Türkiye will continue to support efforts in this regard. While the international community often voices its expectations from the Syrian government, the Syrian people also have an expectation from the international community, that it takes a firm stance against Israel’s attacks on Syria.”
Fidan continued his remarks with emphasis on counterterrorism and cooperation:
“Syria now has a government open to cooperation with the international community. We should take this as an opportunity to address security issues that saw no progress during the Assad regime. In this regard, the international community should change its method to the fight against ISIS. The Syrian government has the will to conduct joint operations against ISIS. We should support Syria in strengthening its capabilities. Türkiye will continue to contribute to enhancing the Syrian government’s ability to combat ISIS effectively.”
Fidan concluded by calling on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to comply with the agreements. He said:
“At this point, the SDF, which has been pursuing a divisive agenda under the guise of fighting ISIS, needs to abandon that policy. In today’s meeting we thoroughly discussed all these matters and the steps that can be taken to promptly and fully implement the 10 March Memorandum. As we’ve repeatedly stressed, Syria’s security is of critical importance for Türkiye’s security with the 911-kilometre shared land border. Elements that threaten Syria’s security also threaten the security of our country.”
In the question-answer part of the press conference, Fidan made further comments that reflect Türkiye’s stance on Israeli and SDF activities in Syria:
“The SDF must not pursue another agenda. In other words, it must not play a double game. What is needed is a solution that genuinely serves the interests of both sides and upholds Syria’s unity and territorial integrity. We hope this can be achieved through peaceful means. That is important for us. But even more important is that Syria not become a source of instability and that no terrorist group in Syria becomes a threat to any country in the region or to us. We have been facing this for years: Terrorist groups that find a habitat inside Türkiye move to the other side of the border, set up safe havens there, and from those bases carry out operations against Türkiye. We have decided to eliminate that system completely.
Fidan also addressed Israel’s activities in Suwayda:
“We are following developments in Suwayda closely. Israel invoking Suwayda and our Druze brothers there as a pretext for unilateral operations produces negative ripple effects in the region. That increases instability and is a national security concern for us. one we are monitoring closely.”
Slogans for Öcalan in the Parliament and the PKK disarmament process
Another major topic on Türkiye’s political agenda last week was the controversy over chants for Öcalan in the Grand National Assembly during the DEM Party’s weekly group meeting.
With the start of the 4th Legislative Year of the 28th Parliament, political parties resumed their regular group meetings. During the DEM Party’s meeting, some participants chanted slogans in support of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK terrorist organization. This sparked widespread backlash.
Co-chair of the DEM Party, Tülay Hatimoğulları, in her speech at the meeting, called for Öcalan’s release and commented on the ongoing process:
“We’ve left behind a year in our pursuit of a democratic society and peace. Over the past year, Öcalan’s call for resolving the Kurdish issue, the PKK’s decision to dissolve itself and the symbolic laying down of arms, and the establishment of a parliamentary commission are all historic developments. The fact that mutual clashes have almost disappeared, that parties have started engaging in more dialogue, and that the urgency of peace has gained greater recognition These are major achievements. The establishment of the Peace Commission within Parliament is a very valuable step; it has strengthened faith and hope in peace. But society now expects concrete action.
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Indeed, Öcalan himself says, ‘If the Commission comes to meet me, I will launch the democratic negotiation process.’ The key to peace lies with the counterpart, the main actor. As seen in global examples, direct dialogue with Öcalan could be the most decisive step towards peace and establishing a legal foundation for the process.”
Following the speech, DEM party MP’s chanted in support of Öcalan. AK Party spokesperson Ömer Çelik, speaking after his party’s Central Executive Board meeting, warned that such slogans could undermine the ongoing process:
“High political intelligence and a solution-oriented approach require producing an integrated political rationale and discourse for this process. You can’t claim to support a solution while making your own narrative the dominant tone outside the common discourse. That would only spark unnecessary debate. Politicians must avoid behavior that provokes public reaction. Shadows should not be cast over the main idea, nor should the core purpose be damaged.”
CHP leader Özgür Özel also criticized the Öcalan slogans while reiterating his support for the ongoing process. Özel said:
“None of us should tolerate or normalize such slogans in the Grand National Assembly. At the same time, since a process is underway and correct steps are expected to be taken gradually, we’re trying to contribute to democratically resolve the Kurdish issue. This requires careful management.”
Good Party leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu also condemned the slogans:
“This Parliament symbolizes the will, sovereignty, independence, and unity of the Turkish nation. It is not a place for chanting slogans praising a criminal who threatens our sovereignty and unity. The dignity of Parliament cannot be harmed by slogans shouted for a criminal.”
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler spoke on the ongoing peace process and the PKK’s disarmament, saying:
“The PKK and all affiliated groups must immediately cease all terrorist activities under the decision to dissolve and unconditionally hand over their weapons, including all extensions operating under different names in Syria and other regions.”
Minister Güler also stressed Türkiye’s firm stance:
“I want to once again underline that no terrorist organization, including the PKK, YPG, and SDF, will be allowed to take root in the region or operate in our neighboring countries under different names.”