Kurtulmuş makes statement on 'Terror-Free Turkey': 'We expect weapons to be surrendered in a short time'

Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, in his speech at the Civil Society Meeting held in Afyonkarahisar, made assessments regarding the "Terror-Free Turkey" process and the regulation passed by Parliament. Kurtulmuş stated that the adopted law is "a door opening to peace and brotherhood."

Drawing attention to the anniversaries of the Battle of Malazgirt and the Great Offensive, Kurtulmuş noted that Afyonkarahisar holds a special place in Turkey's history. Emphasizing that history cannot be separated into periods, Kurtulmuş stated, "The Seljuks are ours, the Ottomans are ours, and the Republic is ours."

Kurtulmuş stated that Turkey has been fighting terrorism for nearly 50 years, that more than 40 thousand people have lost their lives and thousands of martyrs have been given during this process, and that the economic cost of terrorism to the country is also very heavy. Stating that calculations made in 2013 reached a figure of 1.3 trillion dollars including alternative costs, Kurtulmuş expressed that today this cost is "2.3 trillion dollars at the most modest figures."

HE STATED THAT THE LAW HAS THREE SAFEGUARDS

Kurtulmuş reminded that the Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration, known in the public as the "framework law," was accepted in the TBMM on August 10 with the votes of 467 deputies. Stating that this picture is one of the broadest consensuses in the history of Parliament, Kurtulmuş expressed that the regulation is a reflection of social reconciliation.

Stating that there are three basic guarantees in the law, Kurtulmuş argued that there is no expression in the regulation that would harm the rights of martyrs' families and veterans, or open the unitary structure or unity of the state to debate. According to Kurtulmuş, for the process to progress, it must be determined by security units that the organization has laid down its arms with all its structures and ended its organizational activities.

Kurtulmuş said that the monitoring and observation board established under the chairmanship of the Vice President will report on developments in the field, and that a separate commission will be established with the participation of political parties after Parliament opens. Stating that the process will be supervised with these mechanisms, Kurtulmuş said, "There is no possibility of the organization 'pretending' to do so."

Sharing his expectation regarding the process, Kurtulmuş said, "We hope that in a very short time, the weapons will be completely surrendered and the organization will fulfill the requirements of its previous statement and completely dissolve itself." Kurtulmuş said that if this goal is realized, the terror issue regarding the PKK and affiliated structures will be removed from Turkey's agenda.

Kurtulmuş also stated that the organization's high-level executives and those involved in serious crimes such as murder and bombing are kept outside the scope of the law. At the end of his speech, emphasizing that discriminatory and marginalizing language should be avoided, Kurtulmuş stated that everyone living in Turkey is an equal citizen under the same flag.

News Source: 12punto