Mehmet Uçum issues 'language' warning regarding the opening process: 'No one should squander this window of historical opportunity'

A delegation consisting of AKP, MHP, and DEM Party deputies, commissioned by the committee established in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) as part of the second opening process—architected by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli and named 'Terror-Free Turkey' by the government—visited İmralı at the beginning of the week and met with Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the terrorist organization PKK.

Following the delegation's visit to İmralı, the committee will convene on December 4 to discuss the details of the meeting.

Mehmet Uçum, Chief Advisor to AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, continues to share his assessments regarding the second opening process.

In his Sunday column this week, Uçum noted that the process has reached a critical threshold and called for sensitivity in language.

Emphasizing the need to be careful against 'intellectual sabotage' directed at the process, Uçum said, "While constructiveness in language is everyone's responsibility, it is also clear who needs to pay the most attention. The February 27, 2025 statement is the only binding text for all elements of the defunct terrorist organization. Approaches and discourses that deviate from the basic perspective in this text do not benefit anyone. On the contrary, they harm the process. Since no one would want the responsibility of harming the process, one must act accordingly in language as well."

Uçum continued as follows:

"At this stage, where the İmralı hearing has been conducted, the preparation of the legal policy report regarding the transition process has begun, and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) will demonstrate a will to enact the legal regulations for the transition process based on this report, the language to be established is extremely important."

At the end of his article, Uçum included the following remarks: "Managing the process, establishing language, and conducting relations with everyone aware of all this will benefit all of Turkey and every segment that is an essential element of the Turkish nation. It will enable us to build our common future more securely and strongly. No one should squander this 'window of historical opportunity'."

Uçum's aforementioned article is as follows:

"Constructive opportunities of the era

Turkey has once again reached the threshold of historical transformations. We are living through a period where the greatest steps since the War of Independence and the founding of the republic will be taken, and revolutionary leaps will occur.

Of course, many upheavals have occurred in our history up to this point, and strong progress has been achieved.

The crushing of the political reactionary and fascist coup attempt by FETÖ on July 15-16, 2016, aimed at dismantling democracy and seizing the country, through the path of a “national democratic people's revolution,” realized a massive social transformation.

The presidential system, which was adopted with the April 16, 2017 referendum and went into effect on July 9, 2018, immediately after the June 24, 2018 elections, and which is based on the 50 percent plus 1 rule—a fundamental and indispensable norm—was also a great revolutionary advancement. In the words of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, our people made a “democratic revolution,” first in the squares and then through elections.

It is clear that we have packed a lot into our 106-year history as a country and a nation since May 19, 1919, which started the transition process from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic of Turkey.

In the twentieth century, we won our republic with our founding leader and first President, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

In the twenty-first century, we have gained the opportunity to elevate our republic with our country's leader, President Erdoğan, who has taken on the mission of the Century of Turkey.

In this context, the transition process to a “Terror-Free Turkey,” which has been ongoing for over a year and began as a state initiative and is being implemented as state policy with the country leadership of President Erdoğan and the courageous, determined, and wise moves of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, has revealed many constructive, embracing, and inclusive opportunities in this period.

"INTELLECTUAL SABOTAGE CONTINUES"

We are at a new threshold in the process of the founding and rise of the republic, extending from Atatürk to Erdoğan. With the crossing of this threshold, our celebration will take place in the “Century of Turkey,” where the integration of the Republic of Turkey State and the Turkish nation with all segments of the Turkish people is completed without deficiency.

- Transition process and intellectual sabotage

The transition process to a Terror-Free Turkey is approaching its goal step by step. The process is progressing as openly and clearly as possible, except for some understandable preferences of the state, but as always emphasized, intellectual sabotage against the transition process continues. Standing against this intellectual sabotage, neutralizing it, and developing preemptive intellectual measures is extremely important.

"EFFORTS TO EXPLOIT DEMOCRATIC POLITICS THROUGH REGIONALISM MUST BE BLOCKED"

While constructiveness in language is everyone's responsibility, it is also clear who needs to pay the most attention. The February 27, 2025 statement is the only binding text for all elements of the defunct terrorist organization. Approaches and discourses that deviate from the basic perspective in this text do not benefit anyone. On the contrary, they harm the process. Since no one would want the responsibility of harming the process, one must act accordingly in language as well.

To make some observations, first and foremost, intellectual sabotage of the process through the language of separatism must never be allowed. Efforts to exploit democratic politics through regionalism must be blocked.

"SEPARATIST IDENTITY POLITICS ARE UNACCEPTABLE"

Despite approaches that adopt the perspective of advancing Turkey's democracy based on the country, nation, people, and society, efforts to produce separatist identity politics and region-based politics containing separatism are also unacceptable.

The language of superiority, the language of victory, the language of separatism, and language that prioritizes fragmentation instead of integration must be vehemently rejected.

All elements of the defunct terrorist organization and actors in the legal sphere who have taken responsibility by adopting the state policy of the transition process must show maximum attention to establishing a language appropriate to this responsibility. Although there are occasional deviations regarding language, it is correct to continue by strengthening the care shown in the basic direction so far.

At this stage, where the İmralı hearing has been conducted, the preparation of the legal policy report regarding the transition process has begun, and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) will demonstrate a will to enact the legal regulations for the transition process based on this report, the language to be established is extremely important.

The essence of the matter is clear:

- The transition process is aimed at a goal. That goal is to eliminate systematic terror forever, to eradicate violence-based politics, and to destroy the tutelage of terror that has tried to exert influence in every channel. For this, statements alone are not enough; the technical dimensions of the process must be accelerated further, and practical confirmations must be made.

- The goal of the transition process is aimed at a purpose. This purpose is to ensure complete integration with the state and the nation.

Of course, with both the steps to be taken in the transition process and the reformist approaches in the integration process, the democratic political sphere will expand, and our democracy will be advanced and strengthened because after weapons are completely laid down and systematic terror is destroyed, it becomes possible, reasonable, and legitimate to address every kind of problem and issue on a democratic ground.

Managing the process, establishing language, and conducting relations with everyone aware of all this will benefit all of Turkey and every segment that is an essential element of the Turkish nation. It will enable us to build our common future more securely and strongly. No one should squander this "window of historical opportunity".

News Source: 12punto