President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said his government's "terror-free Türkiye" campaign will open “a new page” for the wider region in the new year, pledging to press ahead with the process without compromise.
“We will not hesitate to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the process reaches its intended goal without any setbacks,” Erdoğan said in a New Year’s video message released on Dec. 31.
Under the initiative, PKK first declared a ceasefire, then said it would lay down its arms and disband, before later stating it was withdrawing its remaining forces from Türkiye.
“My dear nation, we have passed some important thresholds in the 'terror-free Türkiye' process, which will open a brand new page not only for our country but also for our region,” Erdoğan said.
"As the [ruling] People’s Alliance, we have always acted constructively in this process, concentrating on the solution and putting our whole bodies into the effort."
A parliamentary commission set up to oversee the process has held 20 meetings to hear from experts and civil society groups and is now working to compile reports reflecting proposals from political parties. Erdoğan said the commission’s work was nearing completion.
"Our commission will hopefully complete its final report soon, which we believe will bring a new breath to the process. It is our wish that the commission acts in a spirit of compromise in the final stretch,” he said.
"This process, which aims to save our country from a 40-year-long scourge, should not be sacrificed to the self-serving calculations of daily politics."
The commission’s mandate, initially due to expire at the end of the year, was extended by two months to allow time to prepare its final report.
Turkish officials have long argued that any lasting settlement should also include PKK-affiliated groups operating outside Türkiye, particularly in Syria.
The issue has gained renewed attention following jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan's call for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces to adhere to an agreement with the government in Damascus on integration.
“The fundamental demand made in the agreement signed on March 10 between the SDF and the government in Damascus is for a democratic political model permitting [Syria’s] peoples to govern together,” he said in a New Year's message on Dec. 30.
The deal has faced uncertainty amid disputes over local autonomy and recent military clashes. Öcalan also called on Türkiye to support the process.
The backbone of the U.S.-backed SDF is YPG, which Ankara views as a direct extension of PKK. "The implementation of the March 10 agreement will facilitate and accelerate the process," Öcalan said.
In his message, Erdoğan also pointed to economic priorities, vowing to build on what he described as recent gains.
“We are witnessing the positive results of the economic program we are implementing with determination across a wide range,” he said.
“While the disinflation process continues, our Central Bank’s reserves are strengthening, and we are accelerating production, investment, employment and exports. We are breaking records in many areas, from tourism to the defense industry.”
