Anti-terror panel to open a new page in Türkiye’s history: Speaker
ANKARA
The commission set by the political parties, under the roof of the Turkish parliament, will open a new page in Türkiye’s history by permanently resolving the terror problem and strengthening unity and solidarity throughout society, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş has underlined, as he presided over the first gathering of the panel.
Kurtulmuş and representatives from the political parties represented in parliament met on Aug. 5 to inaugurate the 51-member commission for discussing the principles and modalities of the panel.
“In the history of nations, there are moments that shape not only the present but also the future. Today is one of those days. We are all witnessing a historic turning point in ridding our nation of terrorism that hit it for half a century,” Kurtulmuş said in his statement.
The speaker recalled that the launch of the commission will also flourish hopes for a new era as the parliament will fully reflect its will to reinforce social unity and togetherness. The commission, itself, is the reflection of the ability of generating a new perspective in dealing with the country’s most acute problem, he added.
The commission is composed of 21 members from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), 10 from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), four each from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) and three from the New Path Party. The minor parties and independent lawmakers will each have one seat at the commission.
The process to end the terror problem began in late 2024 following a historic call by MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli. Jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan issued a call its members to disarm and bring an end to its armed conflict through a message in early 2025. The PKK agreed and announced that it would disarm and dissolve itself in a statement on May 12. A group of PKK members dropped their weapons in a symbolic ceremony in July.
The commission will tackle the legal and political aspects of the process. But Kurtulmuş said the commission is not tasked to rewrite the constitution, undertake legal reforms or try to resolve all the matters at once.
“Our main task here is recall that the parliament is the legitimate venue to resolve this problem and guarantee brotherhood. It is the pillar of societal peace as well as the voice of the nation,” he said.
Over 50 years, some malign foreign powers have used PKK and its affiliations against Türkiye with the purpose of destabilizing the entire region, Kurtulmuş stressed, recalling that these difficulties have prevented the country from further democratization.
“Now along with security, it is time to more loudly talk about the opportunities and strength of freedoms, equality and justice. This is another mission of this commission,” he underlined. The step taken by the people and the parliament will also help to create a terror-free region apart from ridding Türkiye of terrorism.
Following Kurtulmuş’s remarks, representatives from the parties have also outlined their views and expectations from the commission. They later discussed the modalities of the commission including its name and decision-making methodologies.
