Interior minister visits Diyarbakır as part of ‘terror-free Türkiye’ bid

ANKARA

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has urged the public to be cautious in their language and actions toward the government’s ongoing “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, as he visited the southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

Yerlikaya attended a high-level security meeting in the Kurdish-majority city on Oct. 20, emphasizing the need for restraint and unity.

“On the path to eradicating terrorism from these lands, it is imperative that everyone pays attention to their words, tone, attitude and behavior,” Yerlikaya said in remarks after the meeting.

Under the government-led “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, the PKK terrorist organization declared a ceasefire and announced plans to disarm and dissolve following calls from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan. The group began burning its weapons in a symbolic ceremony in northern Iraq in July. The disarmament process remains ongoing, with a parliamentary committee currently working on the framework of the initiative.

Warning against attempts to sabotage the process, Yerlikaya described the campaign as “another national struggle.”

“The ‘terror-free Türkiye’ initiative is a national cause. There is absolutely no place in this cause for those who sympathize with terrorists, spread their propaganda, or seek to undermine our brotherhood,” he said.

Yerlikaya also condemned slogans chanted over the weekend by a group calling for Öcalan’s release, without naming the group directly.

“No one can dare to label as enemies our police officers who sacrifice their lives day and night for the unity, peace and security of our homeland. We will not tolerate such insults. I strongly condemn this rhetoric,” he said.

The minister further warned that attacks on the state’s founding values were unacceptable.

Yerlikaya’s visit came shortly after Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş’s own trip to Diyarbakır last week. Kurtulmuş, accompanied by dozens of lawmakers from the parliamentary National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission — formed to oversee the peace and disarmament initiative — met with local officials and civil society representatives.

During his speech at Dicle University, Kurtulmuş briefly used a few Kurdish expressions, drawing both praise and criticism across social media. The commission he chairs is currently assessing the social, legal and political dimensions of the government’s efforts to permanently end terrorism and foster national reconciliation.