Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said on Dec. 10 that Türkiye’s ongoing peace initiative has reached a “point of no return,” telling former lawmakers from Kurdish-majority eastern cities that the government is moving toward the final phase of its anti-terrorism bid.
"We believe that terrorism should be left behind and Türkiye should not have to deal with the scourge of terrorism again, therefore it is inevitable to approach this issue with a perspective that encompasses all political tendencies," news agencies quoted Kurtulmuş as saying during a meeting in parliament.
The effort had reached a "point of no return," he told 22 former MPs from various parties.
"This process will encompass all of Türkiye. There may be very marginal extremes on the right or left, those who do not want this. [But] this time we will definitely succeed," he said.
Kurtulmuş chairs the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, which oversees the government’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative. The panel is expected to hold what could be its final session this week before wrapping up a long-awaited report on the process.
The commission held its 19th meeting on Dec. 4, reviewing findings from a cross-party delegation that visited jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan on the İmralı prison island last month.
Representatives from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) participated in the Nov. 24 visit. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the New Path alliance — comprised of the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), the Felicity Party (SP) and the Future Party — declined to take part.
"Several political parties and several commission members have submitted their reports. After compiling these, I hope that a report will emerge with consensus as soon as possible," Kurtulmuş said on Dec. 10. "I hope that the legislative part of this issue will be completed in a short time, without prolonging it."
Under the initiative, PKK first declared a ceasefire before announcing plans to disarm and dissolve. A first batch of members burned their weapons in July, and the terror group said in late October it had withdrawn from Turkish territory.
The commission’s mandate officially expires on Dec. 31, though it can extend its work in one-month intervals if needed.
