New Party, DEM Party discuss anti-terror project

ANKARA

The New Party chairman Özgür Özel met with DEM Party Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları Oruç and Tuncer Bakırhan at the New Party headquarters.

Leaders of the main opposition New Party and the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) had a comprehensive meeting to discuss the ongoing “terror-free Türkiye” project and steps to be taken in the coming period to advance the process.

DEM Party co-chairpersons Tuncer Bakırhan and Tülay Hatimoğulları paid a visit to Özgür Özel at the New Party headquarters on Oct. 19 and held a joint press conference following the engagement.

“We have shared our views about the ongoing process with the New Party chairman and his delegation. You know that the parliament legislated a framework bill which allowed us to enter a new era,” Bakırhan said, expressing his hope that the political parties will continue to deliver the expectations of the people.

“In this new era, we observe that everyone’s expectation is to see the implementation of this framework bill. The secondary essential regulations should be adopted,” he suggested.

Launched in late 2024, Türkiye’s anti-terror bid stipulates the full disarmament and dissolution of PKK, ending decades-old terrorism that claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people.

The process was further strengthened and matured after the Turkish parliament overwhelmingly voted in favor of a comprehensive framework law that tackles political and social aspects of the “terror-free Türkiye” bid.

“A great duty and responsibility falls upon the parliament. Our speaker of parliament [Numan Kurtulmuş] should also take on some responsibility in this regard and help pave the way for the necessary steps to be taken so that this law can be implemented as soon as possible.”

Özel, for his part, stressed the need for the oppositional parties to stand together against continued crackdown on dissidents by the government.

“There is a report we all have endorsed together at the Parliament [as part of the initiative]. This report stipulates taking steps for the democratization of the country. Elected politicians are in jail and there is nothing done to correct this,” he stated.

He also criticized the government for not implementing the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and jailing journalists and shutting down oppositional media outlets.