Statements of the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly on the Turkey Without Terror Process
Kurtulmuş: The İmralı Meeting Will Not Remain Confidential
Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, during his visits to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, gave explanations to journalists regarding the process known as “Turkey Without Terror.” He emphasized that this process is proceeding under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Kurtulmuş stated: “The political will and determination that brought this process to its current stage and turned it into a state policy belongs to our President. If he had not paved the way, reaching this point would not have been possible. From the very beginning, I have provided all information related to this process to the President so that there would be no information gap. Therefore, the President is the owner of this process.”
The İmralı Meeting
Regarding the visit of members of the National Brotherhood and Democracy Commission from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and the DEM Party to İmralı Prison to meet with Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Kurtulmuş said: “After returning to Turkey, this matter will be reviewed. The Members of Parliament who went to İmralı will share their observations with the Commission. The main point is that the content of the discussions should be shared with the Commission. Nothing has been hidden from the public, and this meeting will not be confidential.”
He added that the parties represented in the Commission were given a deadline to prepare a report, and the Commission’s mission will end with the submission of this report.
Position of Political Parties
On the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Kurtulmuş said: “Despite the existing circumstances, the CHP has carried the process forward positively up to this stage and has tried not to be excluded. Their decision not to go to İmralı was their own choice, probably due to the congress and similar events. This decision belongs to them, but their participation would have been more appropriate. Nevertheless, they will continue their work within the Commission.”
The Bahçeli Model
Kurtulmuş’s remarks that “the owner of this process is our President” recalled the proposal of the Nationalist Movement Party. Feti Yıldız, Deputy Chairman of the MHP, said:
“The name of this process is the Bahçeli Model. Once completed, the Bahçeli Model will become a global example, enter political literature, and in the future serve as the key to peace in conflict regions.”
Criticism from the CHP
Özgür Özel, Chairman of the Republican People’s Party, criticized President Erdoğan’s silence, saying:
“He wants the MHP to measure the depth of this process. While expecting to benefit from the solution, he does not take responsibility and sidelines himself. The President must know that such a political atmosphere has ended and must assume responsibility. Everything cannot be kept behind closed doors, taking only the benefits for himself while sharing the losses. The people will see these calculations.”
