Hints of a new opening from the Palace: Mehmet Uçum outlines new steps following the decision to visit İmralı

The commission established in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) as part of the second opening process—which MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli is the architect of and which the government calls a 'Terror-Free Turkey'—has decided to go to İmralı to meet with terrorist leader Abdullah Öcalan.

While public attention has turned to the delegation's journey to İmralı, Mehmet Uçum, Chief Advisor to AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, wrote about the new steps to be taken in the opening process in his 'Sunday' column this week.

Uçum stated, "At the point we have reached today, the concrete stages of the transitional justice process have become even clearer. The freedom of the Kurdish language will be strengthened, local governments will be restructured, and regulations regarding equal citizenship will be made."

The full text of Uçum's article is as follows:

Complementary steps continue to be taken in the process of transitioning to a Terror-Free Turkey, and the process is accelerating.

THE DECISION TO LISTEN AT İMRALI AND THE LEGAL REPORT

The Grand National Assembly of Turkey's (TBMM) National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission has decided to conduct a hearing at İmralı. The schedule for the drafting of the commission's report, which will propose a legal policy for the transition process, has been announced.

Meanwhile, systematic intellectual sabotage against the transition process continues unabated. In fact, the primary goal is to devalue the accumulation of the transition process and the possibility of achieving results, and ultimately to derail the transition process. For this reason, attempts are being made to create problems on many issues.

However, it would not be correct to view all negative opinions expressed in discussions regarding the transition process as intellectual sabotage or the result of malicious agendas. It is necessary to carefully distinguish those who sincerely express their concerns about the process from those who express opinions on issues they perceive as risks and dangers in good faith. Therefore, it is extremely important to evaluate the issues to be addressed with an objective perspective.

SOME DISCUSSED OR EXPLOITED ISSUES

The most current issue is the 'İmralı hearing' decision taken by the Commission. Once the requirements of the decision taken on this matter are fulfilled, the situation will move beyond hypothetical discussions. This is because a new and concrete situation will emerge after the İmralı hearing. Abstract opposition becomes meaningless in the face of the concrete situation that emerges. At that point, an environment where ideas are debated will develop. Of course, it is certain that there will be views for and against at that time as well. But it should be assessed that the emergence of a result that contributes to the transition process from the İmralı hearing will render opposing approaches insignificant.

Another issue is intellectual provocations that highlight all bad practices, painful events, and destructive rhetoric in history, and are carried out from every direction. Of course, history cannot be ignored. If today's issues are handled with a true historical consciousness, correct solutions will be developed. The impact of historical accumulation on today and the future should be in the direction of contributing to problem-solving processes. Using historical experience as an obstacle to solving problems not only means harming today and the future, but it is also a betrayal of historical reality.

Approaches that ignore the leadership and constructive policies of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's administrations, which ended the denial and rejection attitudes of certain factions within the State toward Kurds, are another area of intellectual sabotage.

It should never be forgotten that the stage reached today is based on President Erdoğan's great leadership and the constructive policies he has implemented in every field throughout all his terms of administration, and this reality must always be kept in mind.

It is also extremely important to take clear and sharp stances against intellectual sabotage directed at the groundbreaking, wise, and courageous moves made by Mr. Devlet Bahçeli since October 1, 2024.

It is also important not to confuse the needs of the transition process with perspectives on advancing democracy. Of course, the transition process itself has a major role in expanding the democratic space. Furthermore, the completion of the transition process will make the conditions for comprehensive reforms to be made in terms of developing and strengthening democracy much stronger. Instead of approaching the issue this way, putting forward demands that are incompatible with the transition process, and even claims that are impossible to realize for Turkey and can be called intellectual traps, would be pure sabotage. It stands out as a necessity for all responsible elements in the transition process to show the required care in this regard.

STAGES OF TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE

At the point we have reached today, the concrete stages of the transitional justice process have become even clearer.

It is understood that the Commission will end its listening activities with the İmralı hearing. It will prepare its report on transitional justice in a way that will not take a very long time. It can be expected that this report will include proposals for authorities, mechanisms, and procedures for the Parliament and the Executive regarding the practical confirmation that systematic terrorism has ended in all its dimensions. It is understood that the legislative process will be initiated without delay after the report is submitted to the Speaker of the Parliament.

It is expected that the Commission will complete its task by also writing a report on the approach to advancing democracy, in accordance with the democracy qualification in its name. As previously stated, the Commission may write the report on developing democracy separately from the report on transitional justice. Or it may prepare a single report consisting of two sections titled transition process and strengthening democracy. These are entirely at the discretion and decision of the Commission.

THE STATE AND THE KURDS

Beyond all this, let us once again emphasize the relationship between the State and its Kurds in today's Turkey, in an environment where the transition process is moving toward its goal with confident steps.

The agenda between the State and the Kurds in Turkey has begun to cease being a "problem" under President Erdoğan's administrations and has gradually turned into a "topic." The stage we have reached can be defined as a new stage where the State's relationship with the Kurds is about topics, not problems.

These topics can be expressed mainly as follows:

The complete integration of all Kurds with the State by radically eliminating separatist tendencies is the primary topic.

Like all elements of the Turkish Nation (all clusters of the Turkish people, all segments of Turkish society), the full assumption of responsibility by all Kurds for Turkey's agenda of democratic progress, development, and strengthening, their firm embrace of the Turkish perspective, and their unwavering ownership of Turkey can be expressed as the fundamental direction.

There is no incompatibility between the inclusiveness of Turkish, the language of sovereignty and national unity, and the freedom of Kurdish and other languages. In this context, the freedom of Kurdish will be strengthened and made permanent. If there are any bad practices that can be called deviations despite the State's constructive approach regarding the freedom of Kurdish, they will be eliminated.

As we have always underlined, there is undoubtedly no legal problem regarding 'equal citizenship,' but ensuring that the feeling of 'equality among all our citizens' prevails in practice is also one of the most important tasks.

The issue of restructuring local governments is a need not only for certain provinces and districts but for all provinces and districts of Turkey.

A local government reform that will support the unitary structure, authorize local councils in auditing, drafting local budgets, and creating district and provincial service and investment programs, and implement a single organization, single budget, and single execution approach by increasing the responsibility of the center in local execution is becoming inevitable.

The truth that cannot be objected to is this: Reaching the goal of a Terror-Free Turkey will create much broader opportunities to take stronger and more established steps in all legal reform issues.

FINAL WORD

As emphasized before, a Single State and a Single Nation is the only reality of Turkey. After the acceptance and ownership of this reality, and only under this condition, the Nation, with all its inseparable elements, gains the power to make decisions about its future.

The main topic of our day is for the Turkish people, with all their elements and in unity, to own, develop, and strengthen the Turkish Nation and the Republic of Turkey. This internal unity that Turkey will provide and the internal and external front it will strengthen, as President Erdoğan said, can initiate the integration of Turks, Arabs, and Kurds in this century in the region and can make Turkey the determining power of the region in every sense. What is seen is that this historical opportunity has entered the process of realization.

News Source: 12punto