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Former main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu reportedly called Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) chairman Devlet Bahceli on Tuesday to thank him for his key role in what authorities are calling the “terror-free Türkiye” process.
Türkiye crossed a major milestone in its fight against terrorism last week, as the first group of PKK terrorist group members publicly burned their weapons in Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah. The move is being hailed as the most tangible step yet toward the dismantling of the outlawed organization.
According to journalist Baris Yarkadas, former Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kilicdaroglu phoned Bahceli to express appreciation.
“Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the 7th Chairman of CHP, called Devlet Bahceli and conveyed his satisfaction with the outcome. He thanked Bahceli and all who contributed,” Yarkadas wrote on social media.
The spotlight has turned to Bahceli, who is seen as one of the architects of the transition. On Oct. 22, 2024, Bahceli made headlines with a controversial proposal: “If the isolation of the terrorist ringleader (Abdullah Ocalan) is lifted, let him come to the parliament and declare the end of terror. If he shows such determination, legal avenues can be opened for the use of the right to hope,” he said in reference to legal reforms regarding sentences.
Over the months that followed, Bahceli made several statements aimed at pushing the process forward, contributing to political momentum behind the group’s eventual disarmament.
The disarmament move comes amid increased efforts by Türkiye’s political leadership to close the chapter on decades of armed insurgency and domestic instability linked to the PKK, which is designated a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the EU, and the U.S.
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