Erdoğan Reaffirms Anti-Terror Goals, Slams Opposition Over Corruption and Early Election Demands
“By achieving our goal of a Turkey and a region free of terrorism, we will honor the memory of our martyrs and show that their sacrifices were not in vain," Erdoğan stated. He also urged that this “promising process” be completed swiftly without sabotage by “dark circles.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his government’s determination to eliminate terrorism both within Turkey and across the region, while sharply criticizing the opposition CHP party for alleged corruption and calls for early elections, according to remarks reported by the Anadolu Agency (AA).
Speaking on Wednesday, Erdoğan stated: “By achieving our goal of a Turkey and a region free of terrorism, we will honor the memory of our martyrs and show that their sacrifices were not in vain. No step in our anti-terror campaign would cast a shadow on their legacy or offend their memory—and there never will be.” He also urged that this “promising process” be completed swiftly without sabotage by “dark circles.”
In a pointed nationalistic declaration, Erdoğan added: “There is no power on this earth that can take even an inch of our land, let alone our agricultural territories.”
Earlier in the day, and in a landmark video message recorded on June 19, 2025, but made public on July 9, 2025, jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan called for the formal dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), marking a historic turning point in the Kurdish movement's trajectory in Türkiye. After nearly five decades of armed struggle, Öcalan advocated for a complete transition toward democratic politics, legal frameworks, and peaceful coexistence. His message, delivered from İmralı Prison, emphasized that the PKK’s original military objective—to establish a separate Kurdish state in response to decades of denial—had been achieved through the recognition of Kurdish identity.
Öcalan announced the replacement of the movement’s foundational “National Liberation Strategy” with a new political vision rooted in “Democratic Society” and “Democratic Politics.” He introduced a “Manifesto for Democratic Society,” intended to guide this ideological shift, and urged a voluntary disarmament process supervised by a legally authorized commission within the Turkish Parliament. His call, reinforced by the PKK’s 12th Dissolution Congress, signals the most profound ideological and structural reorientation in the PKK’s history, carrying potential implications not only for Türkiye’s internal dynamics but also for regional and international peace efforts.
Turning to domestic politics, Erdoğan launched a fierce attack on the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), referring to it as the “extortion party” despite its century-old history. He accused CHP municipalities of turning public institutions into sources of illicit profit and condemned their alleged misuse of public funds.
He warned that political protection would not shield corrupt individuals: “The CHP leadership may tolerate thieves and fraudsters within their ranks, but no state institution can or will. If you’ve turned municipalities entrusted to you by the nation into cash cows and stolen public funds, don’t expect impunity—you will answer to the courts.”
Addressing recent calls from opposition figures for early elections, Erdoğan rejected the idea outright: “Since the Constitution and Election Law remain unchanged, the presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in 2028, and local elections in 2029, Mr. Özgür. You may fantasize about picking a random Sunday on the calendar and declaring it election day, but neither politics nor the nation is thinking along those lines.”
He concluded with a warning against abusing parliamentary immunity: “If you plan to make thieves and criminals lawmakers to shield them from justice, the nation will never allow it.”
