Main political events in Türkiye in this week.
Main political events in Türkiye in this week.
It was, as always, a crowded week on Türkiye’s political agenda.
At the top of the list were developments surrounding the government’s “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Türkiye was another major headline.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s meetings on the G20 summit was another important item of the agenda.
The Committee visits Öcalan
The “Terror-Free Türkiye” process, triggered by a call from Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli and pushed into a new phase after the PKK announced it would dissolve itself continued last week with a significant decision in parliament.
The Grand National Assembly’s National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Committee voted in a closed session to send a delegation to İmralı Prison to meet with imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. The motion passed with 32 votes in favor. AKP, MHP, and DEM Party, as well as two “yes” votes from EMEP and TİP supported the decision. The Democrat Party, DSP, and Hüda-Par voted against the motion. The main opposition CHP, however, announced before the vote that it would not send a representative to İmralı.
The delegation including Hüseyin Yayman (AKP), Feti Yıldız (MHP), and Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit (DEM Party) visited Öcalan on November 24.
The Committee on National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy made a statement on the delegation’s visit, but didn’t provide many details. The statement indicated that Öcalan’s views on the process were heard by the delegation.
What sparked debate was CHP’s decision not to take part in the visit.
MHP Deputy Chair Feti Yıldız issued a statement on CHP’s decision, saying: “It is, of course, CHP’s choice. We would prefer that they joined. We want decisions like this to be taken unanimously in the Committee. As Türkiye’s oldest political party, their contribution to solving a problem that has lasted half a century would be valuable.”
During the closed Committee session, CHP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Murat Emir said: “We don’t support a process carried out behind closed doors and limited to five MPs. We support a process conducted transparently under the parliament’s roof, with broad social consensus.”
Following the committee’s decision to visit to Öcalan, CHP Deputy Chair responsible for Interior Affairs Murat Bakan issued a detailed statement:
“This is not something that can move forward solely with the consent of part of the Kurdish electorate. The families of martyred soldiers and veterans must also give their consent. The military and police must give their consent. Nationalist, social democratic, socialist, revolutionary, and conservative voters in this country, all of them must be on board.
We understand and acknowledge the feelings of Kurdish voters. We want peace as well. But we also understand the emotions of the families of martyrs, veterans, and those who have fought terrorism in this country. We represent their feelings too. You can only solve the problem when you bring those two emotions onto a common ground.
If the Kurdish issue is going to be resolved, it will be resolved through genuine democracy, not by sending the Committee to İmralı.”
DEM Party Parliamentary Group Chair Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit criticized CHP’s decision not to take part in the visit. She stated:
“History is written by the brave. And we are standing at a historic threshold. We are writing history. Will we assume responsibility for building a democratic republic or not? History will also record those who don’t assume responsibility.”
Good Party leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu strongly condemned the committee’s decision:
“History and the nation will never forgive what is happening. You will eventually hear the powerful voice of our people, in the squares and at the ballot box.”
Victory Party leader Ümit Özdağ expressed his support for the CHP’s decision not to participate in the visit. Özdağ stated that although CHP had made a mistake by voting in favor of forming the Committee, CHP took the right decision not to send a representative to İmralı.
Zelensky’s visit to Ankara
Ukrainian President Zelensky visited Türkiye and held a meeting with President Erdoğan. According to the information shared with the press, the meeting focused on the ongoing war in Ukraine and bilateral relations.
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran made a written statement regarding the talks. Duran said:
“During the meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, who is paying a working visit to Türkiye, critical issues closely followed by the international community were discussed.
The discussions addressed bilateral relations with our strategic partner, Ukraine, as well as the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war. Efforts to secure a ceasefire and establish lasting peace, particularly within the framework of the Istanbul Process, were comprehensively reviewed. This dialogue is a clear indication of Türkiye’s genuine commitment to resolving the conflicts.”
Duran also emphasized Türkiye’s “geopolitical position” and “diplomatic efforts”:
“With its geopolitical position and multifaceted diplomatic capacity, Türkiye is one of the key actors of global peace today. Türkiye is among the few countries that can engage with all parties simultaneously, build trust, and lay the groundwork for resolution through its fair and balanced approach.
President Erdoğan possesses the ability to shape diplomatic processes not only regionally but also globally through his strong leadership. This leadership, driven by both a humanitarian approach and firm resolve, places Türkiye at the heart of peace diplomacy.
All these efforts once again demonstrate our country’s vision, which prioritises enhancing stability and security rather than escalating conflicts.
Under the leadership of President Erdoğan, Türkiye will continue to play a critical role for the international community, serving as a voice of peace and a leading advocate for resolution.”
After their meeting, the two leaders held a joint press conference. President Erdoğan expressed his pleasure in hosting President Zelensky and stated:
“Right after Mr. President’s last visit in May, we hosted direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations, talks that began for the first time in over three years. Across the three rounds of negotiations, tangible progress was achieved particularly on humanitarian issues. The parties were also able to address proposals for a ceasefire, prospects for peace, and military matters directly. We consider all of these valuable steps forward.
In today’s meeting, we emphasized the need to continue the Istanbul Process with a pragmatic and results-oriented approach. At a time when the war’s destructive impact is growing deeper for both sides, we stressed that the Istanbul talks represent an important milestone in efforts to reach a diplomatic solution.”
Erdoğan once again called for reactivating the Istanbul Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Erdoğan then touched upon Türkiye’s relation with “strategic partner” Ukraine:
“We once again reaffirmed our commitment to the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of our strategic partner Ukraine. I also want to underline that our support for the Crimean Tatars, who share a deep historical and cultural bond with Türkiye, will continue.
Despite all the challenges posed by the war, we aim to raise our bilateral trade volume to 10 billion dollars. With the support of Turkish entrepreneurs who have remained in the country and continued their work with courage under such difficult circumstances, we want to contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction. However, before anything else, Türkiye stands ready to discuss with Russia any proposals that would speed up a ceasefire and pave the way for a just and permanent peace. In this regard, we also attach importance to the involvement of our ally the United States.”
For his part Zelensky described the talks as productive and stated:
“As Ukraine, we place great value on the trust between our two states. Türkiye’s attention to Ukraine is very meaningful to us. Türkiye’s principled stance toward the Russian war waged against our state and our people is very important.
I want to thank Türkiye for our cooperation, for helping us save lives, and for its position against the key elements of Russian aggression.”
Erdoğan at the G20 Summit
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the two-day G20 Leaders’ Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa. During the summit, Erdoğan held a press conference and held a series of bilateral meetings.
In his press briefing, Erdoğan highlighted the growing relationship between South Africa and Türkiye, expressing intention to further deepen ties between the two countries.
He praised South Africa’s historic struggle against the racist Apartheid regime under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, calling it “one of the strongest symbols of the global quest for justice and equality,” and continued:
“I greatly value South Africa’s principled and unwavering support for the Palestinian cause over the years. During the Gaza genocide—where 70,000 Palestinians, most of them children, women, and civilians, were martyred, South Africa took an exemplary stance. While crimes against humanity were being committed in Gaza before the eyes of the world, our South African friends, just like the Turkish people, did not turn their backs on this brutality. I would like to congratulate the South African state, its people and its leaders for their courageous position, particularly for filing a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. I salute them with respect on behalf of my country and my nation.”
Erdoğan also addressed developments in Palestine during the press conference:
“Türkiye has stood firmly by the Palestinian cause without hesitation. At every platform, we have courageously defended the rights of the oppressed people of Gaza. With over 103,000 tons of humanitarian aid, we have been at the side of our brothers and sisters in Gaza.
As you know, a ceasefire has now been secured. We are doing whatever is necessary to prevent a return to conflict. I emphasized that mitigating the consequences of the destruction is a global responsibility, and I called for increased humanitarian assistance and support for reconstruction. At this point, while ensuring the continuation of the ceasefire, implementing the two-state solution is of critical importance for a lasting peace. Without the establishment of a free Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, global peace cannot be fully achieved.”
Responding to another question on Ukraine, Erdoğan said:
“Earlier this week, I hosted President Zelensky. Tomorrow, I will hold a phone call with President Putin. In our bilateral meetings here, we discussed the Russia-Ukraine war, what can be done, how peace can be achieved. We focused persistently on these questions. My hope is that Türkiye will continue to do everything in its power to open a path to peace.”
During the G20 Summit, Erdoğan held meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
According to briefings shared with the press, the talks covered political and economic ties, international crises, particularly Ukraine and Palestine.