Striking remarks from Ahmet Türk on the peace process! 'After Mustafa Kemal, Erdoğan...'

After a trustee was appointed to the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality on November 4, 2024, DEM Party member Ahmet Türk, who has appeared on various opposition channels to criticize the AKP, has now spoken to the pro-government newspaper Sabah.

Türk made statements regarding the new peace process, dubbed 'Terror-Free Turkey,' which was architected by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli.

TARGETED NATIONALISTS

Arguing that those who think they will be 'engaged' or tied to a specific side if the process succeeds are mistaken, Türk said the commission established in the Turkish Grand National Assembly is not like those in the past.

Stating, "The process we are in is a project for our society and peoples to meet on common democratic values," Türk noted that nationalist circles are uncomfortable with the process and continued:

"There is a nationalist segment; we see that they are uncomfortable with the process evolving toward peace, and we can easily notice this from the actors they invite to television programs."

"THERE ARE THOSE WHO DO NOT WANT THE PROCESS TO SUCCEED"

Reminding that he previously served as a deputy for the CHP for two terms, Türk stated that comments suggesting they would be 'engaged' with the AKP if the process succeeds are a misconception, and said:

"The Kurdish issue is a century-old problem; such a problem can only be solved by a leader who has established dominance over all state institutions," said Türk, adding that Erdoğan has such dominance in this sense. Türk stated, "I also served as a deputy for the CHP for two terms. It is not correct to evaluate the CHP as a whole. There are friends and colleagues within the party who support the process. But there are also people who think that once the process succeeds, we will be 'engaged' somewhere. This is a misconception. There are those who do not want the process to succeed."

"ÖZGÜR ÖZEL'S ATTITUDE IS CONSTRUCTIVE"

Stating that CHP leader Özgür Özel is someone who wants the process to succeed, Türk said, "Özgür Özel is someone who wants the process to succeed. I find Özgür Özel's attitude constructive."

"FETÖ SABOTAGED THE FIRST PROCESS"

Stating that the previous peace process was sabotaged by FETÖ and therefore could not succeed, Türk said, "The Gülen movement had infiltrated many levels of the state at that time. This was revealed very clearly in the KCK trial. It turned out that most of the judges and prosecutors handling the cases came from Gülen movement groups. The government was not ready at that time either. Now, the process is not like it was in the past. It is progressing differently. We already saw how sincerely Öcalan wanted peace in our first meeting with him."

"I WANT TO VISIT DEVLET BEY"

Noting that MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, the architect of the second peace process, is determined, Türk said, "Devlet Bey is a leader I respect very much. He is a person who stands tall and takes ownership of the process. This stance is a matter of state wisdom. When we went to Sulaymaniyah, he called and thanked me. I had met him at the airport after I was released from prison for the first time. I hadn't been able to visit him, but I had called him to thank him. We are from the same school. I want to visit Devlet Bey in the near future."

"OTHER THAN MUSTAFA KEMAL, ERDOĞAN..."

Ahmet Türk said, "The process is moving forward because the President supports it. He calculates everything, even taking into account the criticisms that may come. At the beginning of the process, he did not share his thoughts on this matter with the public very much, but recently he has clearly stated that he will support the process to the end."

Stating, "To date, other than Mustafa Kemal, the person with effective power in all state institutions has been Mr. Erdoğan," Türk expressed that there were once factions within the state that thought very differently, but now, due to both internal reasons and external factors, there is a "strong tendency within the state that considers a 'solution' to be necessary."

Stating that there is a "strong political consensus," Türk said that an important duty falls on Erdoğan, who is at the head of the executive branch.

"I WANT TO TALK TO ERDOĞAN ABOUT SYRIA"

Türk said, "Our President met with the DEM delegation. I also want to talk to him, especially about Syria. There is a major Middle East project in the region. This is a project in Turkey's favor. Instead of the intervention of other countries, Turks and Kurds should come together and decide what can be done. Turkey should also talk to the Kurds there. Let them talk to Ahmet Şara, but in my opinion, they should also talk to the Kurds there and get their opinions."