MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli calls and congratulates Ahmet Türk: 'The greatest role'

Following the announcement that the PKK held its 12th congress between May 5-7, MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli called DEM Party's Ahmet Türk on the phone and congratulated him on the positive developments on the path toward a "terrorism-free Turkey."

In a television program he attended, Türk stated that Bahçeli had called to congratulate him, saying, "Of course, the greatest role belongs to Mr. Bahçeli. It was a significant risk to open this door and make a call to Turkey. But he took this risk because he thought of Turkey's future. However, we see today that the risk he took has made a very important contribution to the emergence of an honorable peace."

Confirming in a program he attended on TV100 that Bahçeli had called him, Türk stated that Bahçeli played the greatest role in the process. Türk said the following:

"Of course, the greatest role belongs to Mr. Bahçeli. It was a significant risk to open this door and make a call to Turkey. But he took this risk because he thought of Turkey's future. However, we see today that the risk he took has made a very important contribution to the emergence of an honorable peace. Mr. Bahçeli called me today as well. He wished for this process to lead to good outcomes. And he congratulated me. I also congratulate Mr. Bahçeli. I have great respect for his efforts. Hopefully, we will come together again for a healthy future, and we will again ask for their major contributions to making peace permanent. 

THE PROCESS BEGAN WITH BAHÇELİ'S CALL

Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the terrorist organization PKK, to whom MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli had addressed his call to "end terrorist acts and dissolve," made the long-awaited call, announcing that the PKK should dissolve itself and all groups should lay down their arms. Öcalan's statement included the following: "I am making a call to lay down arms in this climate created by the call made by Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, the will put forward by the President, and the positive approaches of other political parties toward the aforementioned call, and I am assuming the historical responsibility of this call." Öcalan said, "Convene your congress and make a decision for integration with the state and society." 

In addition to Öcalan's "Peace and Democratic Society" call, a note he sent was also read: "While putting forward this perspective, undoubtedly, in practice, laying down arms and the dissolution of the PKK requires the recognition of democratic politics and the legal dimension." 

Following Öcalan's statement regarding the dissolution of the terrorist organization PKK and the laying down of arms by all groups, the PKK Executive Committee stated that they joined Öcalan's call and would fulfill its requirements. The committee also demanded the release of Abdullah Öcalan.

The PKK Executive Committee announced that they had declared a ceasefire effective as of March 1, emphasizing that no armed force would take action unless attacked.