Erdoğan: All 86 mln will be winners in 'terror-free Türkiye'
ANKARA
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Nov. 3 that his government’s ongoing anti-terrorism initiative would bring prosperity to all 86 million citizens of Türkiye.
"Nothing can be achieved through terrorism, weapons and separatist agendas; no one benefits from this. We hope everyone sees this simple truth," Erdoğan said after a cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.
Under the "terror-free Türkiye" initiative, PKK first declared its disbandment and then announced it would pull all its forces in Türkiye into northern Iraq.
"We are the thousand-year-old inhabitants and owners of this land. Our past and our future are shared, one and the same," Erdoğan said.
"Without falling into division, we will walk together toward a bright tomorrow trusting each other, growing our commonalities, approaching each other with empathy."
Erdoğan said that if the initiative succeeds, Türkiye's Kurdish-majority provinces — long affected by conflict — would see major gains in tourism and economic growth.
"With the permanent end of the terrorist threat, southeastern and eastern Anatolia will gain tremendous momentum. Our provinces in the region will flourish," he said.
"When this process is successfully completed, Diyarbakır will gain as much as Istanbul, and Bitlis will gain as much as Bursa. When we reach the goal of a terror-free Türkiye, God willing, every one of the 86 million people will be a winner."
The president added that his government hopes to redirect national resources away from counterterrorism and toward development priorities.
"God willing, we will achieve this. Both as the ruling party and alliance, and as a nation, we will definitely achieve this. We will build the happy and prosperous days of the future together," he said.
"We do not want to see any form of terrorism either in our country or on the soil of our neighbors."
The ongoing initiative, launched in October 2024, has already led to key developments. PKK declared a ceasefire and announced plans to disarm.
Meanwhile, the parliament's National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission continues to oversee the process. The body held its 16th meeting on Oct. 30, with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç briefing lawmakers.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said prosecutors would “do their part” once it is confirmed that PKK has fully liquidated its assets.
The symbolic start of the current process dates back to last year, when Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli called for jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan to address parliament.
