“Turkey has won, 86 million citizens have won,” declared Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday, following the first phase of disarmament by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is classified as a “terrorist” organization.
“We know what we’re doing; no one needs to worry, be afraid, or question us. Everything we do is for Turkey, for our future and for our independence,” the head of state added, addressing concerns raised by segments of Turkish society. Erdogan reminded the public that four decades of guerrilla warfare have claimed at least 50,000 lives, including 2,000 Turkish soldiers, during a speech before his AKP party at a plenary assembly.
On Friday, around 30 Kurdish fighters, men and women including four commanders, symbolically destroyed their weapons during a ceremony in northern Iraq, near their bases in the mountains surrounding the autonomous Kurdistan region.
Parliamentary commission on the peace process
Erdogan also announced the creation of a commission within the Turkish Parliament to continue the peace process “and to discuss the legal requirements of the process.”
In an interview with AFP on Friday in Iraq, PKK co-chair Bese Hozat called for security guarantees before fighters could return to Turkey. “Without legal and constitutional guarantees, we will either end up in prison or be killed,” she said.
“Today is a new day, a new page in history. It is the day of a strong, new Turkey,” the president declared. “We are closely following all initiatives that will put an end to the bloodshed, ease the tears of mothers, relieve the pain, and strengthen brotherhood,” he promised.
“No one can question my nationalism, my patriotism, or the AKP’s love for Turkey. No one has that right,” Erdogan concluded.
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