President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on April 23 that efforts toward what the government calls the "terror-free Türkiye" process are continuing smoothly, adding that there are no signs of a slowdown.
Erdoğan made the remarks while attending a reception at the Turkish parliament marking the 106th anniversary of the assembly’s founding and National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.
Speaking to reporters at the reception, Erdoğan said he would be open to dialogue with the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) regarding the process.
“Of course we can meet; why wouldn’t we?” he said when asked whether he would hold talks with opposition figures.
Erdoğan also said the process was progressing without obstacles. “It is moving very fast; there is no blockage,” he said.
During the reception, Erdoğan met with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli and later spoke with lawmakers from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party).
Bahçeli, a key ally in Erdoğan’s governing alliance, said Türkiye's political institutions should be involved in addressing major national issues.
“We do not hesitate to take initiative on the country’s fundamental issues. What we say and our stance are clear,” said Devlet Bahçeli.
Asked whether a political consensus could be reached on sensitive issues, Bahçeli said parliamentary discussions were appropriate.
“There are issues on the agenda of the parliament. It is natural for everyone to have an opinion,” he said. “Under the coordination of the parliament speaker [Numan Kurtulmuş], steps can be taken. Discussions under the roof of parliament are in the interest of our country.”
Bahçeli also declined to directly respond to questions about calls related to jailed or removed political figures, telling a reporter, “You do not know us. Our characteristic is that our word is our bond.”
DEM Party co-chair Tuncer Bakırhan, meanwhile, said his party remains hopeful about the ongoing process.
“The process continues. We will present our proposals. We are hopeful,” Bakırhan said. He added that his party did not view the process as stalled, saying, “We have not made such an assessment.”
The reception brought together senior political leaders in a rare moment of public interaction.
The anti-terror project gained momentum after PKK announced last May that it had ended its armed activities and dissolved its organizational structure. Two months later, a symbolic ceremony was held in Iraq during which weapons were publicly burned.
Parliament subsequently established the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission to oversee the initiative. Led by Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, the 51-member body included representatives from all parliamentary parties except the İYİ (Good) Party.
The DEM Party has been acting as an intermediary in the process, conducting visits to jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan at the İmralı prison island off Istanbul.
