Erdoğan Declares the Start of a New Era of National Unity
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in his historic speech at the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) meeting in Kızılcahamam, announced that the 47-year-long scourge of terrorism in Turkey has entered its final phase. He emphasized that this victory belongs to all 86 million citizens of Turkey, including Turks, Kurds, and Arabs.
Honoring the memory of 12 Turkish soldiers recently martyred in counter-terrorism operations, Erdoğan stated, “We will not forget our martyrs, and the Turkish flag will forever wave freely in the skies of this country.” He also referenced the victims of the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia and stressed that Turkey would continue to support Bosnia and Herzegovina and its Bosniak brothers.
Criticizing past governments’ failures to eradicate terrorism, the President condemned historical mistakes such as unsolved murders, burned villages, and forced displacements. He said, “Now, by strengthening our defense industry and conducting cross-border operations, we have gained full control over our borders.”
Erdoğan announced that the PKK terrorist organization has symbolically surrendered and destroyed its weapons. He declared, “From today onward, a new page is being turned in Turkey’s history. We will now direct our energy and resources not toward fighting terrorism, but toward national development and prosperity.”
The President stressed the importance of national unity among Turks, Kurds, and Arabs, stating, “Only through unity will Turkey grow stronger.” He also announced the formation of a special parliamentary commission to oversee the peace process, noting that this process would move forward with the participation of various parties, including the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).
Additionally, Erdoğan addressed the situation of Kurds in Syria and Iraq, expressing Turkey’s readiness to cooperate in resolving their issues. He concluded by thanking the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government for its efforts in this process.
