Türkiye has entered into a new era of unity and strength, opening a new chapter in its history, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday following the beginning of the PKK terrorist organization's disarmament ending the 47-year terror campaign.
"Today marks a new day, a new chapter in history. The doors to a great, strong Türkiye — Century of Türkiye — have been fully opened,” Erdogan said during his Justice and Development (AK) Party's 32nd Consultation and Evaluation Meeting in Ankara.
“Today marks the dawn of a great and powerful Türkiye,” he stressed.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU, convened its congress in May and announced its dissolution, following a February call by its imprisoned ringleader Abdullah Ocalan for an end to the decades-long attacks.
On Friday, a group of 30 PKK terrorists, including 15 women, surrendered and destroyed their weapons in Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah province on Friday by throwing them into a burning cauldron.
“Yesterday, the group implemented its decision and formally laid down its arms in a ceremony,” the Turkish president said, adding that the 47-year-long scourge of PKK terrorism has hopefully come to an end as of Friday.
Addressing the recent "terror-free Türkiye" initiative, the president made clear that the process is not the outcome of any negotiation, bargaining, or give-and-take process.
“The Republic of Türkiye is our shared home, our common roof. All 86 million of us are one, united, and brothers for eternity,” he stressed on the national unity.
He underlined that nearly 10,000 security personnel and around 50,000 civilians have been killed since the PKK launched its terror campaign in 1984.
Next steps for 'terror-free Türkiye'
"We will start discussing the legal requirements of the process under the roof of the Parliament," Erdogan said, adding that the first step of this would be to form an intra-party commission with the ruling AK Party, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Democratic Party (DEM) within the Turkish Parliament to begin discussing the legal requirements of the process, as he outlined the new initiative of dialogue.
He further noted that the scope of the initiative extends beyond Türkiye’s borders, stressing that a "terror-free Türkiye" is not only an issue for Kurdish citizens at home but also for Kurdish communities in Iraq and Syria, with the process actively discussed with them.
Referring to US Ambassador to Ankara, Tom Barrack, who also serves as the US Special Representative for Syria, Erdogan noted: “They held meetings and talks in Syria, and the messages conveyed from there were very positive and encouraging for us.”
"We will facilitate the process with care and urgency, without harming anyone, and closely monitor (terror group PKK's) laying down of weapons," Erdogan further added.
Srebrenica genocide, support for Gaza
Erdogan also marked the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, calling it "one of the most shameful events in recent human history."
He emphasized that Ankara “will continue to stand by Bosnia and our Bosniak brothers under all circumstances to prevent such tragedies from happening again.”
Recalling the massacre of 8,372 people in Srebrenica “brutally killed before the eyes of the West,” Erdogan said prayers were also with the people of Gaza who have “been subjected to genocide for 22 months,” reaffirming Türkiye’s support for their “honorable struggle against oppression and occupation.”
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