An ongoing initiative for a “terror-free Türkiye” is not a “negotiation process” with the PKK terrorist group but rather a national effort to determine next steps following the group’s recent declaration of dissolution, the country’s parliament speaker has said.
“Let me state clearly: this is not a negotiation,” Numan Kurtulmus said on Thursday during an event at the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM).
“This process is about evaluating the new reality after the terrorist organisation decided to disband and identifying steps that can be taken under Parliament’s roof to move forward – always under the authority and will of the General Assembly.”
Kurtulmus made the remarks in the presence of veterans and families of fallen soldiers, acknowledging potential concerns surrounding the process.
“We are not engaging in talks with a terrorist group. On the contrary, we are reassessing the road ahead to secure a Türkiye free from terrorism,” he said.
His comments come after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 12 announced the beginning of a “new chapter” in the country’s history, following the PKK’s decision to lay down arms, ending its 47-year terror campaign.
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The PKK, designated as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US, and the European Union, held a congress in May and announced its dissolution.
The move came after a February call by the group’s imprisoned ringleader, Abdullah Ocalan, for an end to the decades-long attacks.