President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has made his first public remarks following the recent congress of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), where the organisation reportedly discussed a historic decision on its future. Erdoğan told attendees at a family-centred event in İstanbul that “good news” could be announced at any time, saying: “You may receive good news at any moment, and you will.”
Erdoğan framed the government’s “security” operations as part of a broader strategy to “eliminate terrorism” in Turkey, emphasising that the “terror-free Turkey” goal was being pursued with “great sensitivity” under the coordination of the ruling coalition, the People’s Alliance.
“We are moving forward step by step on the path to a terror-free Turkey,” Erdoğan said. “Our intelligence and security units are fulfilling their duties with utmost care. We are monitoring every detail with the seriousness of the state. We believe we will reach our target.”
The PKK congress, which many observers believe may result in a formal dissolution of the organisation or a major restructuring, has been seen as a potential turning point in the long-standing Kurdish conflict.
Erdoğan’s remarks were delivered during an event titled “Strong Family with Mothers, Strong Turkey with Families”, where he also addressed a wide range of social issues, including gender-based violence and family policies.
Erdoğan reaffirmed his government’s commitment to enforcing Turkey’s Law No. 6284, which aims to combat violence against women, stating: “We are doing everything necessary to ensure that the perpetrators of these brutal attacks, which break all our hearts, receive the punishments they deserve.”
However, he also portrayed alcohol use, gambling, and LGBTQ+ identities as social threats, describing them as “corrupting currents” and linking them to family breakdown and domestic violence. He claimed that measures were being taken to “protect society,” while critics have long argued that such rhetoric fuels discrimination and diverts attention from structural issues in gender-based violence.
He concluded by reiterating the government’s broader national vision: “We will not fall into the trap of those who want to drown our region in blood, chaos and tears. Our answer to those who try to divide us will be unity. We will build the Century of Turkey together, based on democracy, development, peace and justice.”
