After a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the president asked about restarting the peace process. Erdogan replied: “Ask Ruya,” referring to Ruya Akkus, a journalist of the pro-government and AKP-affiliated A Haber TV.
“Do not wait for new steps, but let's continue the moderate atmosphere,” Aktus said, and Erdogan appeared to agree with the remark.
Devlet Bahceli, leader of the AKP’s ultranationalist ally the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), on October 1 made an unprecedented gesture by greeting members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) in parliament. Bahceli extended his hand to DEM Party co-chair Tuncer Bakirhan and MPs Sezai Temelli, Pervin Buldan, and Sirri Sakik.
“We are entering a new era. If we want peace in the world, we must first establish peace in our own country,” Bahceli told journalists afterward.
“By extending my hand, I was proposing: ‘Come, join the Turkish political system and stand against terrorism.’ This gesture is a message of national unity and brotherhood,” he reiterated during an MHP meeting earlier this week.
DEM Party is routinely accused of being the political wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish group founded in 1978 that declared war against the Turkish state in 1984. The group initially called for the establishment of an independent Kurdistan but now calls for autonomy. It has been declared a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, European Union, and several other countries. This year, it was declared a banned organization by the Iraqi government.
“We appreciate Mr. Bahceli’s statements, and we hope that the opposition understands the significance of MHP’s message,” Erdogan said on Wednesday, praising Bahceli’s gesture.
Aysegul Dogan, DEM Party spokesperson, on Tuesday welcomed Bahceli’s gesture as “very valuable” but said “it is still too early to comment.”
In 2013, the AKP government entered into peace talks with the PKK, paving the way for an unprecedented opening towards Kurds in the country. Kurdish politicians were able to speak freely about their rights, a topic that was previously taboo. The peace talks, which were mediated by DEM Party’s predecessor the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), collapsed in 2015 and were followed by intense urban fighting in the country’s southwestern Kurdish areas.
