Erdoğan pledges faster pace in anti-terror campaign

EDİRNE

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on June 12 that his government would accelerate its anti-terror initiative as authorities await confirmation that PKK has laid down its arms.

“We are striving to permanently resolve a problem that has plagued our country for half a century. We want to completely remove the dark shadow of terror from our country and then from our region,” Erdoğan said at an event in the northwestern city of Edirne.

The latest phase of the government-backed initiative is contingent on confirmation from security authorities that PKK has disarmed.

“We have made significant progress towards this goal so far. God willing, we will increase our pace even more,” Erdoğan said.

“We have only one concern, and that is the peace and security of 86 million people. We have only one goal, and that is building the century of Türkiye.”

Erdoğan’s remarks came a day after Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş urged political parties to speed up efforts to complete the initiative and said work could continue during parliament’s summer recess if necessary.

“I believe this process needs to be accelerated,” Kurtulmuş said at a June 11 conference in Ankara when asked whether formal parliamentary work would begin before the recess.

“Given the positive momentum achieved, all parties need to continue their joint efforts to finalize this as soon as possible,” he said. “If necessary, work on this issue would continue and results will be achieved.”

Kurtulmuş had previously suggested progress in the process had slowed despite signals from jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.

Speaking to reporters after returning from an overseas trip, Kurtulmuş said there had been “a serious delay outside the will of İmralı,” referring to the island prison where Öcalan is serving a life sentence.

The initiative gained momentum after the terror group announced in May that it had ended its armed activities and dissolved its organizational structure.

Parliament later established the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission to oversee the process. The 51-member body includes representatives from major political parties except the İYİ (Good) Party.

In his speech, Erdoğan also criticized the opposition for failing to respond to mounting regional crises and warned of growing instability.

“Before one crisis is resolved, you see another one starting the next day,” Erdoğan said.

He pointed to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, economic repercussions from attacks involving Iran, Israel’s continued violence and tensions in the Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean.

Erdoğan said the Middle East and the broader international community were experiencing “the most critical developments since the end of World War II” and said his government was working to shield Türkiye from regional instability.