The Turkish parliament took an "important step" this week as part of the Terror-Free Türkiye process, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, referring to the passage of the Bill on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion.
Erdogan's remarks on Thursday followed a meeting at the presidential complex with families of Turkish soldiers killed in past PKK terrorist attacks and veterans.
"This week, our Parliament took an important step in the Terror-Free Türkiye process that we are pursuing with the aim of ridding our country of the scourge of terrorism," Erdogan said on the Turkish social media platform.
“By acting with patience, sound judgement and composure, we will forever free Türkiye from terrorism,” Erdogan wrote, adding that the state had mobilised all available resources to support the families of martyrs and veterans.
He echoed those remarks at the graduation ceremony of the Gendarmerie and Coast Guard Academy in Ankara, describing the bill’s passage by 467 votes as a “historic step” towards permanently resolving an issue that had cost tens of thousands of lives and 40 years of the country’s history.
The Bill on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion, adopted on Monday, sets out procedures for suspending investigations, prosecutions, convictions and related proceedings.
The procedures would take effect after authorities determine that the PKK/KCK terrorist organisations and affiliated groups have ended their activities and surrendered their weapons.
Türkiye is reinforcing its military deterrence through multifaceted diplomatic moves and strategic partnerships, the president added.
On Friday, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Joint Defence Agreement at a trilateral summit in Mecca, pledging to strengthen collective security, deepen defence cooperation and promote peace and stability in the region and beyond.
