Turkey's parliament speaker has stated that constitutional or legal reforms cannot proceed until the Kurdistan Workers' Party disarms completely, and he ruled out recognizing any language besides Turkish as official. Numan Kurtulmuş told reporters on Tuesday that the PKK and its affiliates in Syria must surrender weapons before legislative action begins. He said regulations will distinguish between members who committed no crimes and those serving lengthy sentences.
Kurtulmuş emphasized the need to balance Kurdish rights with Turkish sensitivities while maintaining that most of the population consists of ethnic Turks. He added that Abdullah Öcalan currently communicates through lawyers and members of the People's Democratic Party, but a parliamentary commission meeting remains unscheduled. The remarks followed a National Security Council session chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that pledged to eliminate terrorism within Turkey's borders and neighboring areas.
The council's Sept. 30 statement affirmed opposition to any terrorist presence in nearby regions and rejected territorial expansion based on armed groups. Erdoğan returned from the United Nations General Assembly and declared that terrorist organizations would find no future role in Syria. Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahçeli accused the United States and Israel of attempting to establish a second Israeli state in northeastern Syria through manipulation of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Kurtulmuş emphasized the need to balance Kurdish rights with Turkish sensitivities while maintaining that most of the population consists of ethnic Turks. He added that Abdullah Öcalan currently communicates through lawyers and members of the People's Democratic Party, but a parliamentary commission meeting remains unscheduled. The remarks followed a National Security Council session chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that pledged to eliminate terrorism within Turkey's borders and neighboring areas.
The council's Sept. 30 statement affirmed opposition to any terrorist presence in nearby regions and rejected territorial expansion based on armed groups. Erdoğan returned from the United Nations General Assembly and declared that terrorist organizations would find no future role in Syria. Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahçeli accused the United States and Israel of attempting to establish a second Israeli state in northeastern Syria through manipulation of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
