Commentary on new steps from Akdoğan, Deputy PM of the first 'solution process'

Former Deputy Prime Minister Yalçın Akdoğan, who also held meetings with the HDP delegation during the previous 'solution process' era, appeared on a program on Habertürk.

Responding to questions there, Akdoğan also made notable statements regarding MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli's remarks on PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, the appointment of 'trustees' (kayyum), and the new 'solution process'.

Noting that he has not been following political developments closely for a long time, Akdoğan described the moment he first heard the expressions in the group meeting where Bahçeli made his 'Öcalan' remarks as follows:

"We were having breakfast, and for a moment, my fork dropped from my hand. Devlet Bey was speaking, and the things he said were very advanced. I was shocked to hear these from Devlet Bey, and my mind started working 20 times faster.

I am trying to understand the sentences; he mentioned the 'right to hope.' This was something that had been worked on; it was a very important move.

First, I looked at our colleagues, I looked at the comments. Everyone was in a state of shock. They were hemming and hawing because they didn't know how to take a position. Everyone made evasive speeches."

"A VERY BIG WAVE IS COMING"

Stating that he does not know what was done in the background of the speech, Akdoğan said, "I made the following interpretation in those days; either a very big wave is coming; there is a risk, a danger. Therefore, we must maintain integrity internally. Or a new equation is being established in Syria. Something like this might be done as a preliminary preparation for this. Or I am thinking to myself that it was thought that Öcalan has aged and should serve the state."

The former minister continued his words as follows:

"The continuation of this came later. This is an important initiative. As a person interested in these issues, I felt great satisfaction from this. It is important that this point has been reached for Turkey.

What Devlet Bey did here is high politics. It is at the level of a paradigm. This means doing high politics beyond daily politics.

Some reshuffle the cards, some wave the cards. If you do daily politics, you wave the cards. If you do high politics, you reshuffle the cards."

AKDOĞAN'S COMMENTARY ON TRUSTEES

Making an assessment regarding the appointment of trustees to municipalities, Akdoğan said the following:

"The state is such a huge mechanism. It cannot change gears all of a sudden. There is a separation of powers. There is something called the spirit of the times.

Let's look at the trustee issue theoretically. We are not talking about appointing a trustee to a municipality in Switzerland. We are talking about a drop of water that has formed on the problems that have been experienced and have a history. 

There is democratic politics and there is terrorism. There is a party and there is an organization. If one exists, the other should not. There have been gray areas, they have become intertwined. This is an anomaly. The trustee issue is also part of this anomaly.

Let's look at it in terms of national will and democracy. The nation has elected you. You have been elected mayor of Hakkari. Tomorrow morning, someone comes and says, 'I am the organization's commissar here, what I say will happen. Resources will be transferred here. You will give this support to this family.'

The same thing existed in FETÖ as well. You are a general, there is an imam outside, and he manages him.

Another will has established tutelage over the mayor elected by the nation. It tries to manage him, producing a lot of lawlessness. Will the state not intervene in this?

If the DEM Party enters into complex relationships out of habit again tomorrow, will a trustee not be appointed? Will they be exempt from the law? Let's say the process is over, the weapons are buried. Will they be exempt from the law? 

The state does it today, and it will do it then. I see myself as a democratic person. No one should establish tutelage over the elected will of the nation. The organization commissar, the secret imam should not intervene, my brother. The law is above the national will and is binding. We have a problem that has become gangrenous."