Erdoğan's '86 Million + 10 Millions' calculation!...

Four days after the PKK commission in Parliament carried out its visit to İmralı, Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) and head of the commission, spoke at the Academic Year Opening ceremony of Çukurova University. While reiterating that they are nearing the end of the goal of a "terror-free Turkey," he emphasized the following:

"We are continuing on our path by re-fortifying our eternal and everlasting brotherhood among Turks, Kurds, Arabs, and our 86 million citizens across all ethnic and sectarian differences living on these lands."

Just 24 hours after those words from Kurtulmuş, Erdoğan said the day before yesterday, "We know very well which forces are alarmed by our efforts to disrupt a half-century-old scheme. I tell them only this: you will not succeed this time... God willing, we will succeed this time." He then noted the following:

"God willing, we will turn our ideal of a great, powerful, reputable, and victorious Turkey from potential into reality. Together with our 86 million, and by taking the tens of millions who feel they belong to these lands along with us, we will begin to write a brand new epic all together."

While it is evident that a very large portion of the nation does not approve of the path and methods being followed, setting aside the talk of support from 86 million, what is meant by these "tens of millions who feel they belong to these lands"?

Is it the Syrians, Afghans, and others in our country? But since they have always denied the claims that there are "10 million immigrants," if it is not them, then who is it?

Sharing notes from the visit of three deputies to İmralı, AKP member Şamil Tayyar claimed that the terrorist leader asked Turkey to "act as a patron for the Syrian Kurds."

Could this, and those in Barzanistan, be what Erdoğan is referring to? That's right, at one time it was said, "Act as a patron for the Kurds in northern Iraq," and Barzanistan was established. Presumably, "Kobanistan" is next. In other words, the project that MHP leader Bahçeli once opposed by saying, "the policy of growing by dividing is exactly this!"

WHO PREVENTED 'SUCCESS' IN THE PREVIOUS OPENING?

Let's come to Erdoğan's complaints about "saboteurs" and his emphasis on "Hopefully, we will succeed this time."

According to Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit of the DEM Party, who was on the Imralı delegation, the terrorist leader also pointed out "what is needed for the process to be successful," stating that "it is essential to succeed this time," and claimed that "anti-solution factions" sabotaged the 2013-2015 process. If he means "FETÖ," they are no longer around... As for the MHP, they are at the very forefront of the opening!..

If that is the case, let us also recall the following regarding the previous process. All negotiations were held. According to claims, a 10-point declaration was announced at Dolmabahçe on February 28, 2015, where even the seating arrangement was determined by Erdoğan. It was reported that the terrorist leader invited the PKK to a congress to lay down arms in the spring months.

So, what was Erdoğan's reaction? On the first day, he said, "It is a call we have been longing for..." 11 days later, he expressed his wish that "the call to lay down arms should not remain mere words but be put into practice..." 9-10 days after that, he emphasized that "he was unaware of the monitoring committee, did not view this event positively," and "did not find the Dolmabahçe meeting appropriate..." About a year later, he announced that they had "put the solution process on ice."

The then-co-chair of the HDP, Pervin Buldan, said in 2021, on the 6th anniversary of the Dolmabahçe agreement, "When the time comes, we will disclose the promises you made to us."

I wish the "time would come" and she would disclose it now so we could learn how that process was "sabotaged"!..

SPEECHES AND REALITIES

Since it is being said that a "new process has begun" with the sending of members of parliament to the feet of the terrorist leader, let us talk about this as well.

The summary of MHP leader Bahçeli's opening on October 22, 2024, was: "Let him shout that terrorism has ended and the organization has been dissolved, and let him benefit from the right to hope."

After a year of performative calls and shows, and after so-called dissolution decisions were taken, the following news and articles were published in the pro-government media itself in the aftermath of the MPs' visit to İmralı:

"The PKK is gradually laying down its arms, but this step is progressing somewhat under duress... Although it announced that it has emptied the caves in Zap, different information is coming from the field. There are reports that weapons are being transferred to the Sinjar-Makhmur and Qamishli-Hasakah line."

"The caves are emptying, but there is a concentration in Gara... The Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq supports the 'Terror-Free Turkey' process. Nechirvan Barzani's view on the SDF is as follows: 'A. They should integrate into Damascus because time is working against them. B. While doing this, they should advocate for decentralization. C. They should also maintain their military forces.'"

"It is estimated that around two thousand PKK members have crossed into Syria following the steps taken by Turkey."

While one of the pro-government media outlets that provided this information on November 27-28 said yesterday, "The caves are emptying! MIT has confirmed that the PKK has withdrawn from Zap," another provided the following information in summary:

“In the process of a Turkey without terrorism, the PKK announced as a first phase that it had 'withdrawn from Turkey,' and in the second phase, it announced that it had completely withdrawn from 4 caves in Zap and left behind weapons, ammunition, and logistical materials... In the fourth phase, the PKK members on the Sinjar and Makhmur line, where logistical support is provided to the Syrian branch of the terrorist organization, will surrender their weapons. The disarmament process has reached the completion stage for the PKK, but some problems persist on the Syrian side... An inventory of weapons and ammunition was also taken in the places where the organization withdrew. It is stated that there are no weapons classified as heavy weapons. All of these are being destroyed after being recorded.”

I suppose it has also been determined which weapon was used in which attack and who was martyred by them. I wish we could see the records and the footage of their destruction!..

Interesting, there are no “heavy weapons”... Well, where are the rockets or missiles they used in those “harassment fires” where they martyred hundreds of our soldiers?! Or were the drones not found either, which our own Minister of Defense Yaşar Güler said 7 months ago, “By the way, they launched a drone yesterday, and it hit our Mehmetçik... We couldn't save him, he was martyred.”?!

What else did the PKK, which is said to have “laid down its arms and dissolved itself,” do?

On its 47th anniversary on November 27, it formed “1978” and an “infinity sign” with torches in the “media defense areas” and in Makhmur, which is a source of terrorists.

Bese Hozat, the co-chair of the KCK executive council and the lead actor of the weapon-burning show in the cauldron, said to the CHP, which did not go to Imralı, “It is clear that it cannot fully abandon that classic policy... It still cannot fully let go of that rote learning, those old codes... It made a mistake, but it can turn back from this mistake.” While leveling accusations, he threatened the government, which he described as 'indecisive,' by saying, 'If it does not recognize the existence and identity of the Kurds and does not undertake very fundamental legal reforms, Turkey's future is very dark.' Furthermore, while stating that they do not want amnesty or return-home laws, he said, 'We have not committed any crimes.'

Let us also listen to our officials who talk about a 'terror-free Turkey' 24 hours a day.

AKP Spokesperson Ömer Çelik, at the end of the Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting held one day after the Imralı visit, said that the 'focal point is the dissolution and laying down of arms by the PKK with all its elements and extensions'...

In the National Security Council (MGK) meeting held two days after the Imralı visit, it was announced that 'the Council was informed about the activities carried out against all kinds of threats and dangers directed at our national unity, solidarity, and survival, primarily the PKK/KCK-PYD/YPG, FETÖ, and DAESH terrorist organizations'...

Speaking on the same day during the budget negotiations in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), Minister of Defense Yaşar Güler said, 'For the process to function and continue in a healthy manner, the PKK and all affiliated groups must immediately end all terrorist activities in all regions where they are present, especially in Syria, within the scope of the dissolution decision, and must surrender their weapons unconditionally... We will not allow any terrorist structure, especially the PKK/PYD/YPG/SDF, to take root in the region.'

Aren't these official statements themselves an admission that not only the SDF/PYD/YPG, but even the PKK has not dissolved itself and has not laid down its arms?!

HOW GOOD IT WAS THAT YOU WENT TO IMRALI!..

Let us return once again to Bahçeli's terrorist leader equation: 'Dissolve the organization, benefit from the right to hope'.

Let us hear about the current situation from DEM Party's Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, who explained what they discussed during their visit to İmralı. In summary, she said;

"There is an approach by some segments to limit Mr. Öcalan's representation and power; to see him only as an interlocutor regarding the organization laying down arms and its dissolution. However, we have always said this: Mr. Öcalan is not only an interlocutor for the issue of laying down arms and the dissolution of the PKK. He is also an interlocutor for the democratic and peaceful resolution of the Kurdish question... Beyond the understanding that limits Mr. Öcalan to being just 'the person who will liquidate armed forces,' we have actually seen that he is a political power, a political interlocutor."

What they hoped for and what they found, right?!

In short; the nation was waiting silently and patiently with bated breath, saying, 'Let's wait and see what happens.' But while the separatist terrorist organization has not actually taken a single step, that İmralı expedition that took place; it woke everyone up so much!.. Thank you, Mr. Hüseyin Yayman and Feti Yıldız... How well you did by going!..

Müyesser YILDIZ

December 1, 2025