Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the country had entered a “new phase” following a historic call for disarmament by Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned Kurdish leader and founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). After President Erdoğan’s statement, several AKP executives echoed his stance, pushing for the fulfilment of the call and the laying down arms while notably retaining Ankara’s anti-terror rhetoric.
Speaking at the Haliç Congress Centre, President Erdoğan said Turkey would consider all proposals that contribute to social peace. “We are listening to any proposal that supports social peace and stability, regardless of its source,” he said. “However, we will not tolerate actions that harm our democracy and economy.”
Framing the announcement under Ankara’s long-standing anti-terror rhetoric, Erdoğan said: “The threat of terrorism has long been used to shape policy and constrain politicians. We have maintained the balance between security and freedom without allowing shadows to be cast over our eternal brotherhood.”
He credited the efforts of the ruling coalition, led by his Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its nationalist ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), with paving the way for this new phase. “With the courageous initiative of our coalition partner Devlet Bahçeli and our firm stance, we have now entered a new phase,” Erdoğan declared.
Süleyman Soylu, former Interior Minister and current AKP Istanbul MP, described the moment as a turning point for the country. “At a time when there is a leadership crisis in global politics, Türkiye is taking a historic step towards a ‘terror-free’ future,” he stated.
Yolun açık olsun Türkiye’m 🤲
Dünyada devlet adamı açısından kaht-ı rical var iken,tüm riskleri alarak bir milletin kardeşliğini yeniden tesis eden liderimiz Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ve büyüğümüz Devlet Bahçeli’nin “terörsüz Türkiye” adımı ile bugün gelinen nokta bölgemizin ve…
— Süleyman Soylu (@suleymansoylu) February 27, 2025
Soylu framed the development as part of a broader vision for stability and regional influence. “This is not a time for doubt but for strengthening national unity. A peaceful Turkey means a stronger economy, a stable region, and a country that guides history instead of following it,” he said. He expressed confidence that Turkey, with its diverse ethnic and cultural groups, is on a path toward greater unity and strength.
AKP spokesman Ömer Çelik reiterated the government’s position that all armed groups linked to the PKK, including those in Iraq and Syria, must lay down their arms. “The PKK, PYD, YPG and SDF – all their offshoots – must disarm and disband,” he said, referring to the PKK, and two armed groups in northern Syria, including the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG).
He also noteably referred to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the primary security force in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and the boots-on-the-ground in the US-led Global Coalition against Da’esh (ISIS). The SDF operate independently from the PKK, and their commander, Mazloum Abdi, while expressing support for Öcalan’s message, clarified that the call for disarmament and dissolution does not pertain to them.
Efkan Ala, AKP’s deputy chair, echoed similar sentiments, saying that the government was focused on results. “The essence of Öcalan’s call is for the PKK to lay down its arms and disband. If the organisation heeds this call, Turkey will be freed from its shackles,” Ala said in a television interview.
AKP lawmaker Galip Ensarioğlu framed the call as a reflection of Turkey’s evolving political landscape, arguing that Kurdish grievances had been addressed through reforms in the past. “Öcalan’s message acknowledges the changing reality – Kurdish demands have shifted from identity struggles to democratic participation,” he told BBC Türkçe.
Meanwhile, former AKP deputy Mehmet Metiner welcomed Öcalan’s statement as “positive and courageous” and urged all political actors to support the process. “This historic call must be implemented through confidence-building measures,” he wrote on social media.
Öcalan’ın açıklaması öngördüğümüz şekilde Sn. Bahçeli’nin istediği doğrultuda. Örgütü feshedin ve silahların bırakın dedi. Son derece müsbet ve cesur bir çağrı.
Herkes bu sürece katkı sağlamalı.
Barışı kalıcılaştırmak için gerekli olan dili herkes kuşanmalı.
Güven arttırıcı…
— Mehmet Metiner (@MetinerBasin) February 27, 2025
Şamil Tayyar, a former AKP deputy, warned that while the call was significant, its implementation was crucial. “The main question is how this call will be translated into reality,” he said. Tayyar also warned against possible political concessions, stating that “this process must not lead to new costs for Turkey”.
Terörist elebaşından gelen mesajın özeti:
‘Tüm gruplar silah bıraksın, PKK kendini feshetsin’
Genel Başkan Vekilimiz Efkan Ala’nın ifade ettiği gibi, çağrının muhatabı terör örgütüdür, sonucu görmek gerekir.
Silah bırakma ve PKK’nın kendini feshetme talebinin, metinde görünür…
— Şamil Tayyar (@samiltayyar27) February 27, 2025
While government officials insist that there will be no negotiations that jeopardise Turkey’s unity, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has accused Erdoğan of using the issue for political gain with its leader Özgür Özel stating that they support the peace talks.
As Turkey moves forward in this “new phase”, the coming months will reveal whether the PKK leadership and affiliated groups will heed Öcalan’s call, potentially reshaping the country’s security and political landscape.
