Kurtulmuş: The Terror Free Turkey Project is a National Initiative
Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, emphasized during the discussions on the 2026 central government budget and the 2024 final accounts report that the “Terror-Free Turkey” project is not limited to the duties of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission established in parliament, but is in fact a state project in which all relevant institutions, particularly the security agencies, participate with full coordination.
The General Assembly convened under the chairmanship of Kurtulmuş. At the beginning of his remarks, he commemorated police officer Emre Albayrak, who was martyred during an anti-narcotics operation in Istanbul’s Çekmeköy district, offering condolences to his family, colleagues, and the nation, and praying for God’s mercy upon him.
Referring to the start of budget debates in the plenary session, Kurtulmuş explained that the matter had previously been examined in the Planning and Budget Commission over 77 sessions lasting approximately 240 hours. He noted that 271 members of parliament submitted a total of 1,353 requests to speak, nearly half of the deputies directly participating in the deliberations. He expressed gratitude to all commission members and parliamentary staff for their efforts.
The Speaker of the Grand National Assembly underscored the historical significance of the 28th legislative term, stating: “This parliament marks the beginning of the second century of our Republic and is tasked with taking important steps on the path of democracy.” He also highlighted the work of the National Solidarity Commission, noting that it operated with broad political participation, listened to the views of the families of martyrs and veterans, and carried out multifaceted efforts to eradicate terrorism.
Kurtulmuş pointed out that the commission, having completed its hearings, will submit a comprehensive report to parliament on raising Turkey’s democratic standards, and expressed hope that the issue of a “Terror-Free Turkey” would be addressed in the legislature with the same seriousness.
He further stressed the necessity of drafting a new, national, participatory, democratic, and civilian constitution, describing it as one of the key responsibilities of the 28th parliament. He also called for reforms to the parliamentary bylaws, the Political Parties Law, and the Election Law, to be handled beyond narrow political considerations.
Following Kurtulmuş’s speech, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz began his presentation on the budget. The budget debates will continue for 14 days, with the general framework being discussed today in the plenary session. The deliberations on the budgets and final accounts of ministries and affiliated institutions will be held in nine rounds and are scheduled to conclude on December 21.
The session was attended by political leaders and senior representatives, including Özgür Özel, Chairman of the Republican People’s Party (CHP); Devlet Bahçeli, Chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP); the co-chairs of the DEM Party; and other political figures. Prior to the debates, Vice President Yılmaz, representatives of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), and party leaders held meetings in the parliament’s reception hall.
