Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Turkish Parliament and Chairman of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission, commented on the withdrawal of Kurdish guerrillas from Turkey.
In a speech at Balıkesir University on Monday, he spoke of a “historic turning point” and announced a new political phase in which ideas, rather than conflict, would take center stage.
“In many countries, such processes take decades. In Turkey, the organization has managed to lay down its weapons and withdraw from the country within a year,” said Kurtulmuş. “Yesterday, a historic milestone has been passed.”
Withdrawal from neighboring countries
Kurtulmuş also expressed his “hope” that the withdrawal would not be limited to Turkey, but would also extend to neighboring countries: “We hope that the organization will also end its presence beyond our borders—in Syria, Iraq, Iran, and other regions—so that we can experience a time when the issue of terrorism disappears once and for all.”
The Turkish government is actively working to achieve this, according to the Speaker of Parliament.
“A new chapter for democracy and political dialogue”
Kurtulmuş particularly emphasized that the withdrawal of the guerrillas could now usher in a new era of dialogue. “We are entering a phase in which it is no longer weapons that should speak, but ideas,” he said. “Those who stand at the ballot box must not hold weapons in their hands—that is our goal.” He emphasized that Turkey is determined to strengthen political participation on the condition that the armed struggle ends.
The issue of Syria
With regard to the situation in Syria, Kurtulmuş also expressed criticism of global actors. “Neither the Turks nor the Kurds, neither the Arabs nor the Sunnis, neither the Shiites nor the Alevis will submit to imperialist interests,” he said. Remarking that the region should not be further destabilized by external powers, he concluded with the wish that the future of the region would be shaped not by violence but by dialogue: “May only ideas be spoken in this region in the future. May songs of unity, peace, and brotherhood be heard.”