Newsletters
Türkiye's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party Spokesperson Omer Celik stated that the terrorist organization's claim of "laying down weapons" must be concrete and visible on the ground, not just verbal declarations, during a live television interview.
"The matter of 'laying down weapons' needs to be visible concretely on the ground, not just expressed verbally. This needs to happen within months, not longer, otherwise it becomes open to sabotage. Any other approach would be considered by us as creating gray areas regarding keeping promises," Celik said during an interview on Haberturk TV with journalist Mehmet Akif Ersoy.
Celik reminded viewers that Türkiye has an extensive and competent history in counter-terrorism efforts. He noted that when the AK Party came to power, they implemented not only hard power elements but also methods to persuade terrorists to abandon violence, including incentive regulations.
When asked about the perception that "whoever tries to solve this issue will face consequences," Celik responded, "Today, civil politics is consolidated. There is no vestigial focus that would cast a shadow on the legitimacy of democratic politics. I'm saying it was attempted during our President's time as Prime Minister."
Regarding claims that the AK Party was distant from the issue, Celik said, "There's something that refutes the claim 'AK Party was distant to this issue.' Previously, during his time as Prime Minister, the AK Party initiated the democratic solution process. Using the state's soft power elements on this issue is already part of AK Party policies. We have experience regarding the timing, rhythm, and language of this."
Celik emphasized that Türkiye would conduct military operations if weapons were pointed at the country. "If weapons are pointed at Türkiye, operations will be conducted. We don't point weapons at those who show a tendency to lay down arms against Türkiye, but if anyone points weapons at Türkiye or our nation, I'm saying this independently of the process," he stated.
Highlighting that a terror-free Türkiye is state policy, Celik clarified what "laying down weapons" means: "The issue of laying down weapons can be understood as becoming passive. This means surrendering weapons. The matter here is for the organization to dissolve itself and surrender its weapons. This is what we understand and what should be understood."
"We need to manage a process and ensure there are no sabotages, paying attention to those who try to derail the dissolution and disarmament process through sabotage. This is a topic with thousands of details, but our minds are clear," Celik added.
Celik noted that the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel's approach to the framework of the issue has been positive so far. "The sentence 'If terrorism is removed from Türkiye's agenda, we will support it' is certainly a sentence that deserves appreciation. This is a matter of high politics."
Responding to Ozel's claim that the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would use this issue for political gain, Celik asked, "What political gain? At the end of that process, he faced a campaign saying, 'We won't make you President.' There's no political gain here. If there's a political gain to emerge from this, CHP should also fully support a terror-free Türkiye and they would also get their political benefit."
When asked about Ozel's statements on snap elections, Celik criticized, "The citizens have voted and expressed their will for their issues to be solved. A very short time has passed, and he says 'Let's go to elections.' This isn't a toy. If we were to run the country according to CHP, we would need elections every month, just like they are a party of congresses."
On the peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine held in Istanbul, Celik noted, "It's now seen that we've entered a new phase. No one can reject peace anymore. Previously, many words were spoken about why the war should continue by Russia, Ukraine, and Europeans. It was very abnormal to have so many sentences from Europe about why the war should continue. Now, no one can oppose the word peace."
Celik emphasized that no one talks to both sides like President Erdogan does, stating that Erdogan's moderator role is essential for everyone involved in the negotiations.
1 min read
4 min read
