'State Policy' or meeting the demands of the terrorist leader 15 years later!...

MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, the architect of the 'opening' process, described the visit of three MPs from the MHP, AKP, and DEM to the 'island' as a historic development in his group speech this week. He responded to those criticizing the decision to engage with the terrorist leader using highly 'refined' (!) terms such as 'ignorance, misguidance, wickedness, characterless, low-level, deceitful, seditious, charlatan, political acrobat, and worthless,' and stated that 'one of the most serious interlocutors for the goal of a Turkey without terrorism is İmralı.'

Meanwhile, while commemorating our 192 teachers who were martyred on the occasion of Teachers' Day, he did not mention teachers Aybüke (Yalçın) and Necmettin (Yılmaz), who were martyred by the PKK and whom even Erdoğan remembered. Perhaps he did not want to upset the 'founding leader'!..

In the same speech, Bahçeli stated; "emphasizing that we are in great need of historical consciousness to plan and implement our future without compromising our independence in the slightest, he claimed that the 'opposition mentality is unable to evaluate and analyze developments healthily due to a lack of historical consciousness.'

Since 'historical consciousness' is being highlighted, let us recall some developments from previous openings, and especially who the real actors of this process, now called 'state policy,' actually are.

It was Bahçeli who first announced that talks were being held with İmralı in 2010 and who reacted to it. For this reason, a debate over the term 'dishonorable' took place between him and the then-Prime Minister Erdoğan. Bahçeli gave the following response:

“The Republic of Turkey has held him by the throat and placed him in Imralı, yet a pathetic figure in Imralı has been elevated to a position of respect, capable of managing the Turkish government and the terrorists in Qandil. What a great indecency, what a great disrespect this is... They say 'Turn on the television,' and he says 'At your command'; they say 'Open a course,' and he says 'At your command'; they say 'Politicize the PKK,' and he says 'At your command'; he says 'I have extended the ceasefire until such and such a day,' and they say 'Well done, at your command,' and he meets with whomever he wants in Imralı whenever he wants. To those who detect and report these meetings, he says, 'You are dishonorable if you cannot prove these,' but by saying 'The state is meeting with them,' he retracts the word 'dishonorable' and continues to act dishonorably.

Yes, what Erdoğan said at that time was this:

“It is not the government that holds meetings with Imralı. The state holds meetings with Imralı. It was done before us as well. It is being done in this period too.”

Since a deputy from the AKP, along with the MHP and DEM, was sent to Imralı 15 years later by a commission decision in the Turkish Grand National Assembly that has no legal basis, does this not mean that the government, following the state, has also held a meeting with the terrorist leader?

IS THE MOUNTAIN UNDER THE COMMAND OF IMRALI?

Let us also share some notes from 2013.

Former Deputy Undersecretary of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Cevat Öneş, who openly supported the 'opening' processes, explained the following in an interview he gave to Yeni Şafak:

“We see that the political power's policies regarding the resolution of the Kurdish issue are being developed correctly, by addressing the observed shortcomings. I can point out that the fact that Öcalan is a part of the solution in this policy is an acknowledgment of reality. A solution is difficult despite Öcalan, but a solution is possible with Öcalan. In fact, a group within the MIT (National Intelligence Organization) has been advocating for this for years. At the point we have reached now, we can see that the MIT is doing useful work in formulating resolution policies...”

During those same days, the following statements came from Erdoğan:

“The event has two legs from our perspective. One is the state, and the other is the political leg... There are politicians who cannot distinguish the subtlety between politics, government, or governing, and the management of the state and the operation of state mechanisms. We are following a path here while maintaining that subtlety... The most important instrument in this regard is the intelligence agency. The intelligence agency is, in particular, the most important leg of the executive branch in this matter... If you notice, during these developments, we, as politicians, have not been and are not involved in such a meeting.”

He reacted as follows to the call from the then-CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who said, “We are opening a new line of credit for the Justice and Development Party. Solve the terror problem... The place to solve this issue is the Parliament.”

“Where are you going to open a line of credit? You are in need of credit yourself. What credit are you going to open? He says, 'The place to solve this issue is the Parliament.' A lot of information has been provided in the Parliament regarding this to date... The Parliament has been informed about this issue repeatedly... We even held a closed session in the Parliament regarding this. They were even uncomfortable with it. Why a closed session? We hold closed sessions so that we can 'talk about everything comfortably.' These have been done.”

As is known, the 11th judicial package will be submitted to the Parliament sooner or later. At that time, the 4th judicial package was on the agenda. Erdoğan said the following regarding whether the mother tongue was on the table and whether the terrorist leader would be placed under house arrest:

“There is no such thing as education in the mother tongue currently on our table. Such a thing is not on our agenda. We have prepared all the opportunities for learning one's mother tongue in Turkey right now. Let them go to university or high school and take it as an elective course to learn their mother tongue. But we cannot provide such opportunities that could lead to division in our country... My work on the 4th judicial package continues... But I am saying this very clearly and plainly. A general amnesty or anything of that sort that would pardon those involved in terrorism is absolutely out of the question... House arrest for İmralı, such things are being fabricated. Such a thing is absolutely out of the question. Such a thing can never happen under the AK Party government... Everything is finalized on this matter, and Öcalan's position, location, and everything are clear.”

His most striking words, however, were these:

"There is no new process. The existing process, which was interrupted due to the elections, is now continuing exactly as it was. Within this process, the spheres of influence of Imralı, the mountains (Qandil), and Europe are different. In the past, the mountains were under Imralı's control. Right now, if you ask him, he still says 'the mountains are under my command,' but there is a split there. One side is pro-violence, while the other side evaluates violence in different ways and is in contact with Imralı. Of course, another leg of this is Europe. The political leg is there. As is known, this matter also has a political extension in parliament. We had said that we would fight against the separatist terrorist organization and negotiate with its political extension... Now, if they remain loyal to the topics being negotiated, this process will continue. But if they do not, we will not continue it. As long as weapons are not laid down, it is not possible for us to reach an agreement with them."

To summarize this section; despite Erdoğan and Bahçeli saying, "there is no bargaining, no give-and-take, no conditions," isn't it being loudly demanded that "Öcalan be freed, education in the mother tongue be implemented, and Kurdish identity be included in the constitution"?!..

Moreover, aren't the terrorist organization's European structure and its extensions in Syria singing from different hymn sheets? Even though it was explained many times before, weren't members of parliament sent to Imralı primarily to ask the terrorist leader about the SDG/YPG/PYD? Now, isn't there curiosity about the answer he gave and whether an invitation will be extended to the terrorist leader in Syria, Mazlum Kobani, to come to Turkey?!

THE LATEST SITUATION IN 'STATE POLICY' 

Following the AKP's Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting the day before yesterday, Spokesperson Ömer Çelik emphasized the following in summary:

"As the People's Alliance, we know what we are doing regarding a Turkey without terrorism... Countries use the law just as they use security forces to remove terrorism from the national agenda. Before our government, laws were prepared and enacted for the liquidation of the terrorist organization... The focal point is the dissolution and laying down of arms by all elements and extensions of the PKK... A Turkey without terrorism is a state policy... May our great nation be at ease; there is no question of bargaining over the characteristics of our state... The Republic of Turkey is in control of its own agenda. All state institutions are presenting an integrated strategy and a roadmap that has produced results."

So, what did Mustafa Karasu, one of the members of the KCK—which is supposedly in the process of dissolution but still maintains its existence—say a day later regarding the Commission's visit to Imralı?

Stating that the decision to go was a demand the terrorist leader has been voicing since 2012, he said, "The Leadership wants to explain the situation to the Parliament, which represents the people of Turkey; why the rebellion took place, the justifications for the struggle, and how brotherhood can be established if it is to be established... The chief negotiator of the Kurds is the leader Apo. With this meeting, a new process will be entered; the old process can no longer be repeated."

Can meeting the demands of the terrorist leader after 13 years be considered 'state policy'?!

Who and what constitutes the state that determines these policies? Most importantly, where does the nation stand in this state?

We saw where the nation stands in the slogans chanted at football matches. Now we see it in the polls; there is over 70 percent opposition to the parliamentary delegation's visit to İmralı. If so, it means the state has become disconnected from the nation!..

But if you look at the champions of the 'opening' process, sending members of parliament to the feet of the terrorist leader is just 'a small thing like this'... They claim 'Turkey is still in one piece, our capital is Ankara, our official language is Turkish, and İmralı is still a prison'...

Furthermore, contrary to those who say 'we will sink, we will end, we will be ruined,' they claim 'Turkey has lost nothing'!..

We will understand what other traps are being set for us very soon, but for now, there is only one question:

If so, why did they go in secret?.. While fulfilling such a 'historic duty,' why didn't they pose for a 'historic photo' with the terrorist leader?!..

Müyesser YILDIZ

November 27, 2025