Abdullah Gül: Kurds must be equal citizens

Former President Abdullah Gül, one of the founders of the AKP, made statements to the Al Majalla newspaper, which broadcasts to the Arab world, regarding the current situation in the Middle East and Turkey, as well as Turkey's relations with the Kurds.

Regarding a potential meeting between Erdoğan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, he said: "If both sides sincerely want this meeting to take place, the process must be managed carefully. If there is a will to communicate between the parties, they can overcome past disagreements and turn a new page in their relations. However, for the meeting to be productive, comprehensive preliminary preparation is essential. For this, it may be necessary to hold meetings at different levels—diplomatic, ministerial, political, and security—to first lower tensions and prepare the ground for productive talks. Only when Assad and Erdoğan come together in this way can they make concrete progress in resolving the knotty issues awaiting solutions. If the meeting takes place without such preparations, the discussion process on issues awaiting resolution could be derailed."

Abdullah Gül stated that it must be acknowledged that Kurds are a large ethnic group present in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran. He further expressed his views by saying: "I believe that Kurds should be equal citizens in their countries. They should enjoy freedom and all rights guaranteed by law. Despite various difficulties in some countries, it should not be forgotten that some Kurdish communities in Syria have been marginalized throughout history, and many did not even have identity cards. However, we must clearly distinguish between the Kurdish people as a whole and the PKK as a terrorist organization."