Politics
Govt ally behind terror-free Türkiye plan may meet PKK leader
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has upped the ante in his bid for the elimination of the PKK terrorist group.
The government ally who first proposed the terror-free Türkiye initiative last year for the dissolution of the PKK made waves on Tuesday when he volunteered to hold talks with the group’s ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan.
Öcalan is incarcerated at the Imralı island prison near Istanbul and responded to Bahçeli’s call for the PKK’s dissolution last year by urging his terrorist group to dissolve last February.
“I won’t take offense at going to Imralı,” Bahçeli said at his party’s parliamentary group meeting in Ankara. Bahçeli’s remarks are yet another significant shift in the discourse of a veteran nationalist politician who once called for the hanging of Öcalan. As a matter of fact, he launched the terror-free Türkiye initiative by shaking hands with lawmakers of a party he once called for closure for its links to the PKK.
Bahçeli defends the shift in his views as a new phase in eliminating the scourge of PKK terrorism that claimed tens of thousands of lives since the 1980s. In earlier statements, he has reasoned that the terrorist group had no option but to dissolve itself thanks to intense military operations across Türkiye and in Iraq, which dramatically reduced the PKK’s clout. The MHP leader often underlines the need to disarm the PKK to ensure Türkiye’s unity, especially between Turks and Kurds. The PKK justifies its campaign of violence as a means to carve out a self-styled state for Kurds, and for years, lured members of the community disillusioned by prospects for improvement of their rights.
The terror-free Türkiye initiative took several critical turns after Öcalan’s written statement in February. The terrorist group announced it would heed Öcalan’s call last spring and started “burning weapons” in a ceremony in Iraq this summer. Earlier this week, it announced it had withdrawn from Zap, a former stronghold of terrorists in northern Iraq. This move was preceded by an October announcement that said the PKK withdrew all its members from Türkiye to Iraq.
The initiative is mostly shrouded in secrecy except for the PKK’s public statements, and nowadays, it is largely confined to meetings of a parliamentary committee set up exclusively for the initiative. The committee will chart a road map for Parliament and in turn, lawmakers are expected to draft bills to move forward with the PKK’s disarmament. This may or may not include leniency in sentencing of PKK members. Bahçeli agrees with the pro-PKK Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) on what he calls the need for the committee to hear Öcalan in person. The committee, so far hosted people affected by terrorism, academics, nongovernmental organizations and families of PKK terrorists. On Tuesday is scheduled to be briefed by top security officials overseeing the disarmament.
At the same table as Öcalan
In his speech on Tuesday, Bahçeli said there should not be foot-dragging in the committee’s visit to Imralı. The committee and political parties have been largely quiet on the matter while Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, whose ministry oversees prison visits, told reporters on Tuesday that it was up to the parliamentary committee to decide upon the matter. “If we don’t contact one of the main actors in the initiative, I wonder how we will make progress in it. If the committee cannot make up its mind, if everyone insists on silence, I will go to Imrali with three friends of mine,” Bahçeli said. He did not elaborate on why he would pick three colleagues, but the MHP lawmakers broke into applause as Bahçeli said they supported his decision. “If the need arises, I won’t abstain from going to Imrali and sit on the same table (with Öcalan),” Bahçeli said.
Last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hailed a “new phase” in the terror-free Türkiye initiative after the PKK announced its withdrawal from Turkish soil.
“It appears we have reached a new crossroads on the path toward a terror-free Türkiye,” Erdogan said in a speech at the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) parliamentary group meeting. “Everyone needs to step up and do their part.”
“We consider it extremely valuable that … all relevant parties are heard without leaving anyone out, and that different opinions, even if contrary, are expressed,” he has said, referring to those speaking at the parliamentary committee for terror-free Türkiye. The committee has heard views of a diverse array of people, from families of PKK victims and parents of terrorists campaigning for what they call “peace.”
Bahçeli on Tuesday said their terror-free Türkiye goal was one of the most important, historic opportunities Türkiye had in the last 100 years.
“Our nation’s ill fate will change, the sinister and hostile ambitions of those who conspire against us will fail, and the Turkish nation will enter a springtime that is both dazzling and lasting. The nests of discord and division that use terrorism for political gain while striking poses of so-called patriotism will, God willing, collapse,” Bahçeli stated.
“The political opportunists who have stepped in to undermine the state policy of terror-free Türkiye, who cloak their schemes in a veneer of goodwill, lack the intellectual capacity to understand the bond between the state and the nation. In this sensitive and delicate period for Türkiye, our sole wish is for everyone to act with a sense of responsibility, with a disposition toward compromise, and with respect for civility,” he added. Several far-right circles and a political party founded by former MHP members fervently oppose the initiative, claiming it is a betrayal of the victims of PKK terrorism. Both Bahçeli and President Erdoğan repeatedly lashed out at critics of the initiative, accusing them of politicizing the issue.
Bahçeli emphasized that everything is for Türkiye and that the principle of “my country and my nation first, then my party and myself” forms the backbone of their politics.
“We are striving and committed to charting a road map for the future, guided by the momentum of the many painful or proud memories we have uncovered from the yellowed and faded pages of history and to protecting our independence and national existence at all costs,” Bahçeli said.
Bahçeli noted that the state is the nation and the nation is the state, saying the state is an indivisible whole with its land and its people. Separating them, evaluating them separately, or at times setting them against one another is not only a grave mistake but also the handicap and frustration of upstart “democratic bigots” unable to accept the nature and dignity of the state.
“The goal of a terror-free Türkiye is not only a well-known state policy but also the unshakeable political and democratic aim of the nation. Those who seek to disrupt Türkiye’s political nerve system and who ruminate over fantasies of weakening the state-nation unity will, with deep disappointment, be left embarrassed and defeated.
“We are at a decisive point. The ships have been burned upon reaching the shore, leaving no possibility of return,” he added.
The first reaction to Bahçeli’s unprecedented statement was from the DEM Party. The party’s co-chair, Tuncer Bakırhan, heaped praise on Bahçeli as he spoke at the parliamentary group meeting of his party.
“It is very important and worth appreciation. He is bold enough to take a historic responsibility,” Bakırhan said, noting that his party has always advocated “dialogue.”
“Mr. Bahçeli wants to prevent a stand that aims to delay the process and preserve the progress. He should have his response,” Bakırhan said, calling on the parliamentary committee to visit Imralı as soon as possible.
Damaged vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla are being repaired in Türkiye’s Antalya after an Israeli attack in international waters, with volunteers working to prepare the ships for another voyage toward Gaza.
Some of the vessels were left with damaged engines, broken masts and torn sails after the attack. They were later brought to Antalya, where local and international volunteers are carrying out repairs at a shipyard.
Two vessels have already been repaired and sent to Italy as part of preparations for another Gaza-bound mission, said Sümeyra Akdeniz Ordu, a board member of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
“We are trying to recover the ships drifting at sea one by one. We are carrying out a rescue mission,” Ordu told Anadolu Agency (AA). “We are repairing these ships so they can sail to Gaza again.”
Fourteen flotilla vessels are currently in Antalya, Ordu said, adding that volunteers from different countries were helping coordinate and repair the ships.
She said each vessel had a special significance for the activists and that they were treating the ships “like their own children” as they worked to restore them.
The damage was extensive, Ordu said, describing broken masts, damaged engines and cut hoses. She also said the sails had been torn with knives.
“The mast was broken, surface cleaner and coffee had been poured into the engines, and the hoses on each ship had been cut one by one,” she said. “They caused this damage by ramming them with larger ships.”
The repairs have been difficult because of the extent of the damage, but volunteers have continued working, Ordu said.
Türkiye has provided a safe port for the repair effort, she added.
Ordu said the activists remained determined to continue their efforts despite the damage to the vessels.
“If the enemy does not give up, we cannot give up,” she said. “We are trying to be a voice here for our Palestinian friends.”
She said the damage to the vessels showed what she described as the violence and hostility directed at the flotilla.
“We, too, insist on continuing every form of resistance,” Ordu said.
Türkiye condemned a drone attack on a power distribution station in the Saudi city of Medina that supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, reiterating its support for Saudi Arabia amid renewed regional tensions.
Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), condemned the attack on Friday, saying targeting infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque was unacceptable.
“Attacks targeting our sacred values are illegitimate acts directed against all Muslims,” Çelik said in a social media post, adding that Türkiye strongly supported Saudi Arabia’s security and stability.
The targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second-holiest site. The attack put one transformer out of service but did not affect the electricity network.
Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry also strongly condemned the attack, saying strikes targeting civilian infrastructure and threatening Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security should “cease immediately and unconditionally.”
The ministry reiterated Türkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia and called on parties to avoid steps that could further escalate tensions in the region.
“We reaffirm our strong support for Saudi Arabia and emphasize the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions in the region,” the statement said.
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran on Friday separately condemned the strike and said Türkiye would continue to stand by Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi-led coalition said an investigation and examination of drone wreckage indicated Houthi involvement in the Sept. 29 attack.
Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al Maliki said the targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites.
Saudi Arabia said two weeks ago it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace over the Muslim holy city. The coalition described that incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017.
Earlier on Thursday, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, also condemned the attack on Medina.
The OIC described the targeting of vital infrastructure and facilities as “a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of the sanctity of holy sites,” as well as international and humanitarian laws and norms.
Bashiqa-Zilkan, a key Turkish base in Iraq, will soon be handed over to Iraqi authorities while Turkish troops are expected to withdraw from the country. The development, which comes amid the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country, which remained there as part of an anti-Daesh coalition, signals the start of a new era for Iraq and Türkiye. The Ministry of National Defense said in a statement on Thursday that the handover of the base did not mean an end to cooperation with Iraq and, on the contrary, Türkiye would continue supporting Iraq’s security and stability.
Türkiye and Iraq agreed earlier this month to deepen security cooperation, restore full Iraqi state authority in Sinjar and begin the gradual handover of the Bashiqa-Zilkan military base to Baghdad under an agreed timetable.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced the steps in a joint statement following talks in New York on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The ministry said Türkiye welcomed steps to ensure state authority in Sinjar. The base was set up in 2015 to help Iraq fight against Daesh and later maintained its presence when the terrorist group PKK sought to replace Daesh following the liberation of Sinjar.
“These steps will contribute to normalization of the region, establishing an environment of security and stability and a terror-free region,” the ministry said, using an expression referring to Ankara’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, which aims to disarm the PKK.
The statement also said it was decided to gradually hand over the compound to the central government in Baghdad, “based on improvement of security in Sinjar.”
“Our country, as it did in the past, stands with our neighbor Iraq in terms of maintaining an environment of security and stability. Throughout future contacts, we are planning to take steps that will further advance military and security cooperation. We will continue supporting Iraq’s armed forces in increasing military capacity, sharing know-how in counterterrorism and in the fields of military training and defense industry cooperation, based on bilateral agreements,” the ministry stated.
Ayhan Sarı, an assistant professor at the Turkish-German University and a security and foreign policy expert at the Turkish Research Foundation (TAV), noted that Türkiye’s withdrawal was linked to ending the PKK’s presence in Sinjar and the re-establishment of Baghdad’s authority there.
Sarı told Daily Sabah that Türkiye has been in Iraq as an exercise of its right to self-defense under international law, particularly Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognizes the right to individual and collective self-defense against armed attacks. “Türkiye’s presence in Iraq has been due to the PKK threat in the north. (The dissolution) of the PKK will remove the need to remain in Iraq,” Sarı said.
He noted that the PKK and other terrorist groups had, for years, filled the power vacuum that emerged in Iraq’s northern region following the beginning of the Iraq War.
“Iraq’s central government claims it can find a solution to this vacuum through recent steps and establish full authority within its borders after the U.S. withdrawal,” Sarı said.
A U.S.-led coalition deployed in Iraq more than a decade ago against Daesh formally concluded its mission on Wednesday. Daesh was largely expelled from Iraq and Syria, also thanks to Türkiye’s cross-border operations in Assad-era Syria, but U.S. forces remained. Washington and Baghdad reached an agreement two years ago to wind down the mission.
Sarı said it was only natural that Türkiye was supportive of Iraq’s steps to ensure security on its own, since Ankara was committed to developing good relations with its neighbors and centered its foreign policy on peace and stability.
“As it did in Syria, Türkiye sides with central authority, stability and security in Iraq. Türkiye will support this move and will do whatever it can to ensure that this mission succeeds in maintaining stability and security, based on its neighborly relations,” he said.
Sarı added that Iraq’s efforts were compatible with Türkiye’s foreign policy and plans. “Iraq’s success will also mean the complete expulsion of the PKK from that country. This expulsion, removal of this malignant tumor between Türkiye and Iraq, will certainly add momentum to Turkish-Iraqi relations,” he also stated.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new legislative year at the Turkish Parliament on Thursday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hailed a law passed by Parliament on terror-free Türkiye, which involves the disarmament of the terrorist group PKK.
“Consensus on a terror-free Türkiye has upset the country’s foes. (Terror-free Türkiye) is already having a deterrent effect on Türkiye’s foes and is empowering the country,” Erdoğan said.
The president also urged other political parties to strengthen the “home front” amid regional tensions and reach a “grand Türkiye consensus.”
The Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration was approved by Parliament in August following months of political consultations over the government’s terror-free Türkiye initiative. The 12-article legislation received broad parliamentary backing, with 468 lawmakers voting in favor, 88 against and six abstaining. It mainly involves deferral of sentences and prosecution, as part of the initiative that paved the way for the dissolution of the PKK.
For decades, the PKK remained the main security threat for Türkiye, and its violent campaign is blamed for the deaths of thousands of people and immense economic losses, especially in southeastern Türkiye. Apart from small nationalist parties, almost all political parties openly supported the initiative, something rare in polarized Turkish politics.
“The era of opposition solely based on opposing what the government did is over. It is a grave mistake to reduce politics to antagonizing the rivals, to a war of attrition, instead of making it a race in offering the best public services. Regional and global developments require us to pursue a new style of politics,” Erdoğan told Parliament amid constant applause from lawmakers from his Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The main opposition New Party (YP) left Parliament’s general assembly hall as Erdoğan took the floor.
“We have two options now: We will either continue with the old way of politics focusing on polarization, or we will build new politics based on finding common ground, finding consensus amid competition,” he said.
“If we are meant to make Türkiye great and strong again, if we are meant to utilize historic opportunities, we have to adapt to this paradigm shift altogether and without losing more time,” he said.
The president said they did not expect all political parties to fully align or have the same opinion.
“Different views are certainly the wealth of Türkiye, Turkish democracy. But all political parties should prioritize Türkiye. Every party should draw power from its own dynamics, its grassroots, to carry out ‘Türkiye-oriented politics,'” Erdoğan said.
“Reconciliation and tolerance should replace conflict and polarization. We have to find common ground on matters essential for every member of our nation. This is what we call the ‘grand Türkiye consensus,'” Erdoğan added.
New constitution
The president also focused on drafting a new constitution. “The goal of a new and civilian constitution is a struggle for Turkish democracy to prove its maturity. Our esteemed Parliament is competent and authorized to draft a constitution under all circumstances and in every period. A new constitution that will broaden Türkiye’s horizons will be the product not of a politics of polarization, but of a new politics based on competition within consensus. Our nation’s longing for a new constitution must not be held hostage by manufactured fears. Our position regarding the first four articles of the Constitution currently in force is clear. Rolling up our sleeves for a new and civilian constitution worthy of the ‘Century of Türkiye’ is a genuine test of sincerity for everyone. I hope the current legislative year will be a year of constitutional reform that expands Türkiye’s opportunities and potential,” he said.
Since the founding of the Republic of Türkiye, constitutional design has served as the backbone of the country’s legal system. The current Constitution, adopted in 1982, has been repeatedly amended over the decades, most notably in 2017, when a national referendum paved the way for the country’s transition from a parliamentary model to an executive presidential system.
Despite numerous amendments over the decades, replacing the 1982 Constitution with a new, civilian-drafted charter remains a prominent issue in Türkiye’s political debate.
Erdoğan and Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş have repeatedly advocated for a new civilian constitution, arguing that the existing charter retains the legacy of military rule under which it was drafted despite extensive subsequent amendments.
Türkiye condemned Thursday a drone attack by Houthis on a power station in the Muslim holy city of Medina, reaffirming its support for Saudi Arabia.
The targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second-holiest site. The attack put one transformer out of service but did not affect the electricity network.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Thursday that an investigation and examination of drone wreckage confirmed Houthi involvement in planning and carrying out Tuesday’s attack.
“We strongly condemn the Houthis’ attack on civilian infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“These provocative attacks, which threaten Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security and target the sacred values of the Islamic world, must cease immediately and unconditionally,” it said.
Saudi Arabia said two weeks ago it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace over the Muslim holy city. The coalition described that incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions.
“We reaffirm our strong support for Saudi Arabia and emphasize the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions in the region,” the statement said.
Earlier Thursday, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, also condemned the attack on Medina.
The OIC described the targeting of vital infrastructure and facilities as “a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of the sanctity of holy sites,” as well as international and humanitarian laws and norms.
The organization affirmed its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia in measures taken to protect its territory, security and stability, defend Islamic holy sites and safeguard citizens and residents.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said the drone attack constituted “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia and a threat to its security and stability.”
The Saudi-led coalition said the Medina attack was part of what it described as repeated Houthi attempts to target the Two Holy Mosques and “provoke” Muslims worldwide. It said it would continue taking measures to protect the holy sites and pilgrims.
Houthis denied the accusation.
The latest escalation is the most serious fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis since a U.N.-brokered truce largely halted cross-border attacks in 2022. Hostilities resumed this year after the Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July and began attacking Saudi territory and shipping, while Houthi forces also made major territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes in Yemen and backed government forces fighting to push back the Houthis.
Turkish authorities detained Eyüpsultan Mayor Mithat Bülent Özmen and 27 other suspects earlier Friday as part of a corruption investigation involving the Istanbul district municipality, prosecutors said.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said detention orders were issued for 28 suspects over allegations including membership in a criminal organization, receiving and giving bribes and bid rigging.
All 28 suspects were detained in simultaneous operations carried out by financial crimes police, according to the prosecutor’s office. Authorities also conducted searches and seizures at addresses linked to the suspects and searched the Republican People’s Party (CHP)-run Eyüpsultan Municipality building.
Prosecutors said the investigation was being conducted in coordination with the Ankara Police Department’s Financial Crimes Investigation Branch.
“The investigation continues in a comprehensive and meticulous manner,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Özmen, who serves as mayor of Istanbul’s Eyüpsultan district, was among those taken into custody.
The detentions are part of an ongoing investigation, and no court has ruled on the allegations against the suspects.
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