Newsletters
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli reiterated his call for imprisoned PKK ringleader Abdullah Ocalan to be granted the "right to hope," while also urging the release of former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas.
Bahceli made the remarks after signing a proposed framework bill linked to the initiative, arguing that the legislation marked another step toward strengthening national unity.
"With this signature, our thousand-year brotherhood has once again been reaffirmed. Turks, Kurds and everyone, regardless of their language or identity, have won. Our 86 million citizens and the peoples of the Middle East have won. At the same time, the first step has been taken to disrupt global projects," he said, according to the statement carried out by Turkish media.
Bahceli thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus for their roles in advancing the process.
He described the initiative as a coordinated effort led by state institutions, saying Parliament had taken the necessary initiative and government bodies were carrying out the required work.
"This project is a state project. Our Parliament has taken the necessary initiative on this issue. Our state is conducting the necessary work. We will all follow this process together," he said.
"We observe the traditions of the state. Our president is closely following the process, and our parliament speaker is overseeing it. We support them. It would not be right to get ahead of the work they are carrying out," he added.
Bahceli said he remains in contact with Demirtas through his lawyers, asking about his well-being and whether he has any requests.
"Selahattin Demirtas should return home, the 'Ahmets' (former Mardin Mayor Ahmet Turk and suspended Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Ozer) should return to their duties, and Ocalan should be granted the right to hope," Bahceli said.
"Türkiye should find peace. Our goal is for Türkiye and the region to achieve peace."
The proposed framework bill is designed to provide the legal basis for the next phase of Türkiye's "terror-free Türkiye" initiative, which aims to complete the PKK's disarmament and dissolution.
Officials have described it as a temporary, standalone law that would set out the scope, duration, oversight mechanisms and eligibility criteria for measures linked to the process, while stressing that it would not amount to a general amnesty or a presidential pardon.
Although the full text has not yet been made public, Turkish media reports say the legislation is expected to regulate the legal status of PKK members after disarmament.
The "right to hope" is a legal principle established by the European Court of Human Rights that requires prisoners serving life sentences to have a realistic opportunity for release through periodic review if they demonstrate rehabilitation.
The MHP submitted the signed framework bill proposal to the ruling AK Party on Tuesday, with the signatures of Bahceli, senior party officials and parliamentary leaders.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
