Declaration against the 'Terror-Free Turkey' process from former ministers and deputies: 'Negotiating with a defeated enemy is surrender'

A group of 242 individuals, including Hamit Köse, President of the Confederation of Martyrs' Families, former Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Uluç Gürkan, as well as former ministers and deputies, has issued a joint declaration against the "Terror-Free Turkey" process.

The signatories of the declaration include figures such as Hüsnü Bozkurt, Chairman of the Kemalist Thought Association (ADD); Hakan Paksoy, Chairman of the National Thought Center; Kürşat Karacabey, President of the Turkey-Azerbaijan Friendship Association; Prof. Dr. Bican Ercilasun, former President of the Turkish Language Association; Ambassador Halil Akıncı, founding Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States; and Prof. Dr. İskender Öksüz.

In the text published under the title "The Turkish Nation Says 'No'", reference was made to the provision in the Constitution stating, "Everyone bound to the Turkish State by the bond of citizenship is a Turk." The declaration emphasized the founding principles of the Republic of Turkey and national sovereignty, stating opposition to initiatives argued to lead to the division of the country.

The text argued that using only the term "terrorist organization" for the PKK is insufficient, asserting that the organization should be defined as a "separatist terrorist organization." For this reason, it expressed opposition to holding meetings or negotiations with the organization's leaders and its political extensions under the name of a "Terror-Free Turkey."

The declaration stated, "Negotiating with a defeated enemy is surrender," and reacted to the possibilities of engaging with the imprisoned leader of the terrorist organization, granting him status, or pardoning members of the terrorist organization. The text argued that these steps would not bring "honor or reputation" to any state institution, party, or group.

Hakan Paksoy, Chairman of the National Thought Center, announced the declaration and its signatories in a statement on social media.

The full text of Hakan Paksoy's statement:

THE TURKISH NATION SAYS "NO!"

Article 66 of the Constitution is clear: "Everyone bound to the Turkish State by the bond of citizenship is a Turk." We are all Turks and we say "No!" to "Turk, Kurd, Arab" rhetoric. The Turkish nation says no.

It is clearly written in Atatürk's own handwriting: "The people of Turkey who founded the Republic of Turkey are called the Turkish nation." We are the Turkish nation and we say "No!" to any partnership being brought into our national sovereignty.

Based on the words in the preamble of the Constitution: "This constitution... is entrusted and committed to the love of country and nation of the democracy-loving children of Turkey, by the Turkish nation, to be understood and applied with respect and absolute loyalty to its word and spirit in this direction... that no activity shall be protected against the national interests of Turkey, the existence of Turkey, the principle of the indivisibility of the state and its territory, the historical and spiritual values of Turkishness, Atatürk's nationalism, his principles and reforms, and civilization...", we, as "children of Turkey," say "No!" to any initiative that will lead to the division of our country.

The "terrorist organization" rhetoric used for the PKK is incomplete; the PKK is a "separatist terrorist organization." The expansion of PKK is Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan, meaning "Kurdistan Workers' Party." It is clearly Kurdish-nationalist and separatist by its very name. Therefore, we say "No!" to holding meetings and negotiations with separatist ringleaders and their political extensions under the name of a "Terror-Free Turkey."

Turkish security forces have defeated the PKK by fighting with tens of thousands of martyrs and veterans. Negotiating with a defeated enemy is surrender. As the Turkish nation, we say "No!" to surrender.

Taking the separatist ringleader, who has been convicted as the murderer of tens of thousands of our people, as an interlocutor, granting him status, or pardoning members of the separatist terrorist organization in one way or another does not bring honor or reputation to any state institution, party, or group. We are the Turkish nation and we say "No!"

Full list of signatories:

Acar Osman, Governor

Ahmetbeyoğlu Ali, Dr. Faculty Member

Akalın Baturalp, Farmer

Akcan Abdülkadir, Prof. Dr. Former Minister

Akıncı Halil, Ambassador

Aksoy Mustafa, Prof. Dr.

Aksungur Bünyamin, Artist

Akyürek Bekir, Lecturer

Akyüz Ahmet Erdem, Lawyer - Honorary President of the Association for the Rule of Law

Albayrak Kemal, 20th-21st Term Deputy

Altay Ömer Nail, President of the Veterans' Higher Education Association

Apuhan Recep Şükrü, Writer

Arabacı Ali, 21st Term Deputy

Ardalı İlhan

Arıcı Aykut Alp, President of the Nationalist Congress Association

Arıkoğlu Ekrem, Prof. Dr.

Arslan Beyhan, 21st Term Deputy

Arslan Gürsel, Mechanical Engineer

Ataoğlu Aybars, Prof. Dr.

Atay Mehmet, Theater Director

Atlı Faruk, Dr.

Ay Mehmet, Former Teacher

Ayaz İlayda, 1283 Movement Board Member - Architect

Aydınlı Atilla, Prof. Dr.

Azıtepe Metin

Babacan Cahit, Lawyer

Babacanlı Celalettin, Retired Lieutenant General

Babaoğlu Abdullah Selim, Lawyer

Bahar Bilal, Former President of Ülkü Tek

Bahşi Feridun, 27th Term Deputy

Başbuğ Temel, Former Mayor

Batmaz Erdal

Bayır Fikret, Dr. - Retired Staff Colonel

Bayrak Sabahat, Prof. Dr.

Beştepe Naci, Retired Lieutenant General

Beyatlı Kemal

Beyit Ali, Dr. Faculty Member

Birgül Emrah, Producer

Bozdoğangil Veysel Erdem

Bozkurt Hüsnü, ADD General President

Bulut Arslan, Journalist-Writer

Can Ahmet Selçuk, President of the Human and Democracy Foundation

Canpolat Nihat, Governor

Cebeci Aspay, Sociologist-Writer

Cebeci Çağrı, Cartoonist-Writer

Çağlağan Haydar, Prof. Dr.

Çakır Osman, Writer

Çakır Rüştü, Educator-Writer

Çam Nusret, Prof. Dr.

Çamkerten Bayram, Former KOSGEB President

Çavuşoğlu Gültekin

Çekiç Hasan, Writer

Çelik Afşar, Dr.

Çelik Arda, Writer, Press Consultant

Çelik Nevin, Former Teacher

Çetin İsmet, Prof. Dr.

Çetin Meltem, Prof. Dr.

Çetin Recep, Prof. Dr. 25th Term Deputy

Çiftçi Haydar, Civil Engineer

Çimen Ayşenaz, Lawyer

Çirkin Süleyman Turan, 21st-23rd Term Deputy

Dağaşan Dursun, Former PTT General Manager

Demir Ali, Retired Brigadier General - Lawyer

Demir Mehmet Akif

Demirtaş Raşit, Director

Deniz Şerafettin, President of Avaz Research Strategy Center

Dinçarslan Bahadırhan

Doğan Ali, Journalist

Doğrusöz Alp, Photographer

Durak Osman, Ambassador

Durakoğlu Mahir, Retired Prosecutor

Duvarcı Ayşe

Duvarcı Özber

Dümen Yunus, President of the Gazi Education Graduates Foundation

Erarslan Gülcan Havva

Ercilasun Bican, Prof. Dr.

Ercilasun Bilge, Prof. Dr.

Ercilasun Konuralp, Prof. Dr.

Erdoğan Ayşe

Erdoğan Selim, Dr.

Erdoğan Umut Barış

Ergin Saide

Erkal Mustafa, Governor

Erkalan Yaşar, Civil Engineer

Erkan Aydemir, Ambassador

Erkanlı Cevdet

Eroğlu Feyzullah, Prof. Dr.

Eryılmaz Fatih, Retired Gazi Police Chief

Ertuğrul Hasan Murat, Prof. Dr.

Fırat Ahmet, Civil Engineer

Gökmenoğlu Korhan, Prof. Dr.

Göze Hicran, Lawyer-Writer

Gündüz Abdullah, Turkish Folk Music Instructor-Artist

Gündüz Mehmet, Former Lecturer

Güner Sadık, Theologian-Writer

Güneş Ercan, Former TÜRKAK Expert

Günyeli İnci

Gürdal İrfan, Artist

Gürel Emre, President of the Idealist Thought Association

Gürkan Uluç, 19th-20th-21st Term Deputy

Güven Berkan, Game Designer

Hacaloğlu Örpen

Hacaloğlu Türkan

Halilbeyoğlu Abdullah, Civil Engineer

Hamşioğlu Oğuz, Dr.

Horasan Erdem, Student

Işık Şükrü, Civil Engineer

İlker Ayşe, Prof. Dr.

İlker Süleyman Sami, Prof. Dr.

İncedelen Cenk, Dr.

Kadıoğlu Cihan, Businessman

Kallimci Hasan, Writer

Kama Nuri Aydın, Prof. Dr.

Karaaslan Mahmut, Retired Police Chief

Karacabey Kürşat, Lawyer - President of the Turkey-Azerbaijan Friendship Association

Karadayı Mehmet Onur

Karamahmutoğlu Azmi

Karaman Suay, Journalist-Writer

Kaya Atilla, 23rd-24th-25th-26th Term Deputy

Kayıhan Hasan, Writer

Kepenek Osman

Kılıç Ayşen, Former Faculty Member

Kılıç Rafet, Retired Lieutenant General

Kılıç Veli, Dr.

Kılıçarslan Abdullah, Retired Brigadier General

Kılıçarslan Zeynep, Retired

Kılıçoğlu Orhan, Writer

Kılıç Hasan Basri, Student

Kiper Mehmet, Civil Engineer

Kocakoç Ahmet

Koç Atilla, 1283 Movement Secretary General

Koçak Ahmet, Civil Engineer

Koncuk İsmail, 27th Term Deputy

Konuşkan Halil, YAD President

Kök Dündar, Prof. Dr.

Köse Hamit, President of the Confederation of Martyrs' Families

Kula Paşa

Kumcuoğlu Ertuğrul, 21st-23rd Term Deputy, Former Undersecretary of Treasury - Ambassador

Kuvvetli Mustafa

Macit Nadim, Prof. Dr.

Maral Harun

Maraş İbrahim, Prof. Dr.

Metin Efsane Çolpan, Lecturer

Mirzaoğlu Ramazan, Prof. Dr. - Former Minister of State

Murathan Atilla, Prof. Dr.

Nazlıoğlu Erol Şule, Lawyer

Okçu Eyüp, TAV President

Oral Hüseyin, Insurance Agent

Orhan Burhan, 21st Term Deputy

Öksüz Enis, Prof. Dr. - Former Minister

Öksüz İskender, Prof. Dr.

Öksüz Namık Kemal

Önder Fırat Baran, President of the 1283 Movement Association - Businessman

Öner Sakin, Dr. - Educator-Writer

Öner Yüksel, Prof. Dr.

Ören Edip, TV Producer

Örtlek Muzaffer, Civil Engineer

Özay Saltuk Buluçhan, Lawyer

Özbaş Edip, 21st Term Deputy

Özbek Hüseyin, Lawyer

Özbek İsmet, 1283 Movement Board Member - Advertiser

Özeller Orkun, Retired Staff Colonel

Özer İsmail, Former Chief Inspector

Özgedik Mehmet

Özkan Yusuf

Özkaya Hayati, Writer

Özmen Ferhan, Prof. Dr.

Öztürk Mustafa, President of the Bilgi Yurdu Association

Patır Erhan, Retired Brigadier General

Paksoy Hakan

Polat Cezmi, 21st Term Deputy

Polat Hüseyin, Former Deputy General Manager of the Ministry of Agriculture

Saföz Turan

Saygılı Oğuzhan, Writer

Selamoğlu Murat

Seven Nidai, 21st Term Deputy

Sezen Yümni, Prof. Dr.

Somuncuoğlu Kazım, NGO President

Somuncuoğlu Mübeccel

Somuncuoğlu Tümen, Assoc. Prof. Dr.

Soral Bartu

Sönmez Nihat, Artist

Sözer Berkan, Publisher-Director

Süğlün Sevin

Sünger Şaban, Former Regional Director of Highways

Şalk Talat, Retired Prosecutor

Şanalmış Ali

Şanlıtürk Mustafa, Former General Manager of Temsan

Şener Aspay

Şener Selim

Tan Ahmet, Journalist - 26th Term Deputy

Tarkan Yıldız

Taş Veli, Former Chief Inspector

Taşan Banu, Lawyer

Taşova Haldun

Tekbudak Atilla, Agricultural Engineer

Temeltaş Kıymet

Temeltaş Teoman

Topçu Şap Hatice, ADD Deputy General President

Tunalı A. Yağmur, Writer

Tunceroğlu Ayşe Göktürk, Writer

Tunceroğlu Mehmet, Engineer

Turanlı Güzide, Prof. Dr.

Turanlı Sacit, Prof. Dr.

Türk Alican, Retired Senior Colonel, Sociologist-Writer

Türk Vahit, Prof. Dr.

Türkoğlu İsmail, Prof. Dr.

Tütüncü Enis, 18th-22nd-23rd Term Deputy

Uçar Zahide, Writer

Uluant Sinan, President of Kubbealtı Academy

Uluant Zeynep Göze, Writer

Uyartaş Mehmet Emin

Ünal Ahmet Hamdi

Ünal Hasan, Prof. Dr.

Ürgen Güner, Retired Banker

Ünser Hakan

Vural Oktay, Former Minister

Yağcı Kadir Oğuz, 1283 Movement Board Member - Student

Yahnici Ercüment Devlet

Yahnici Şevket Bülent, Lawyer - 21st Term Deputy

Yahnici Taşer Yasemin

Yakıt İsmail, Prof. Dr.

Yapıcı Murat, Dr.

Yaraş Mahmut, Opinion Leader

Yardım Ümit, Ambassador

Yavuz Ahmet, Retired Lieutenant General

Yazar Afide

Yeniçeri Özcan, Prof. Dr. - Former Deputy

Yeşiloğlu Hanifi, Engineer

Yıldırım Mikail, Electrical Technician

Yıldırım Mustafa, Governor, Former Constitutional Court Member

Yıldız Ata Naciye, Prof. Dr.

Yıldız Mehmet

Yıldız Müyesser, Journalist

Yılmaz Iraz, Lawyer

Yılmaz Kerim, Former AC President

Yılmaz Yunus Buğra, Publisher-Writer

Yiğitbaşı Mustafa, Retired

Yokuş Fahrettin, 27th Term Deputy

Yücesoy Ayşe

Yücesoy Fehmi

Zeybek Namık Kemal, Former Minister