Erdoğan: Seize ‘historic opportunity’ for unity

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has described a recent proposal by the nationalist party leader for ending terrorism in Türkiye as a historic opportunity, with calls on the Kurdish people and political actors to put distance between them and the PKK terrorist organization.

It was the first time Erdoğan commented on the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli’s proposal to release the jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, if he accepts to instruct the organization to lay down arms and bring an end to the armed struggle against Türkiye.

“My dear Kurdish brother... We want you to protect your faith, your Islam, your call to prayer, your homeland and brotherhood. Come and let’s build the Century of Türkiye together,” Erdoğan said in his address to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmakers on Oct. 30 in Ankara.

“This republic belongs to Kurds as much as it belongs to Turks,” Erdoğan said, recalling that Türkiye marked the 101st anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye on Oct. 29 with the participation of all social, ethnic and sectarian groups. “Take the hand extended to you sincerely,” said Erdoğan.

Thanking Bahçeli for his "courageous and wise" proposal, Erdoğan said those who can interpret his words in a right way see the historic window of opportunity.

“Our counterpart is our people. And we believe that our people support steps for getting rid of the terror problem and staying away from the instabilities taking place in the region and in the world,” he said.

Erdoğan underlined that his calls are not aiming to reach the terrorist ringleaders in northern Iraq and northern Syria, adding that the recent PKK attack in Ankara that killed five people has shown the necessity of continuing the fight against terrorism.

“In the coming period, we will have good news for our nation in terms of guaranteeing the security of our entire southern border and the safety of life and property of our people,” he stated.

Calling on the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) to keep a distance from PKK as violence and democracy cannot walk together, Erdoğan said, “Türkiye will never give concessions to terrorists.”

Meanwhile, Erdoğan thanked main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel for his supportive remarks over the efforts to resolve the terrorism problem. “I want to believe that Mr. Özel will stand on the right side of history at his very turning point,” he said.

“A historic window of opportunity has been opened by Mr. Bahçeli’s taking responsibility. This must be best used by the politics,” the president added.