18.10.2026 10:21
Minister of Interior Mustafa Çiftçi, at the “Terror-Free Turkey” panel he attended in Batman, regarding whether any negotiation was made with the terrorist organization or any concessions were given during the process, said: “Was any negotiation made with the terrorist organization? Absolutely not. Were any concessions given? No. Whatever the will of our President is, whatever the will of our state is, whatever the will of our Parliament is, that was accepted and we are walking along that line.”
Minister of Interior Mustafa Çiftçi emphasized that the “Terror-Free Türkiye” process is being carried out by Türkiye’s own will and stated that citizens should not worry about this issue. Çiftçi noted that the process will contribute to many areas in the region’s provinces, especially tourism.
MEETING WITH THE GOVERNORS OF 11 PROVINCES
Çiftçi attended the panel “Terror-Free Türkiye in the Century of Türkiye, the Law of Brotherhood and Social Peace” organized by the Birlik Foundation Batman Branch at the Necat Nasıroğlu Complex Conference Hall. Noting that before the panel they held a meeting with the governors of 11 provinces, provincial police chiefs and provincial gendarmerie commanders, Çiftçi said, “In the Terror-Free Türkiye process, we must determine our road map. Together with our governors, provincial police chiefs and provincial gendarmerie commanders, we are a Ministry of Interior family of 700 thousand people. At this point, we need to speak a common language.”
“THOSE DAYS ARE BEHIND US”
Giving examples from his years serving in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia, Çiftçi recounted that when he was the district governor of Tekman district in Erzurum in 2001-2002, he could visit villages only accompanied by security vehicles, and in the evening he could not return to the district due to security. Touching also on the security measures he encountered in Batman’s Kozluk district in 2008-2009, Çiftçi said, “Within one day, one uses four separate routes. What I am saying is an ordinary situation experienced in Batman, in Kozluk, in 2008-2009. Those days are behind us. Today we are in 2026.”
“A TERROR-FREE TÜRKİYE HAS BECOME A STATE POLICY”
Referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s 2024 call to “strengthen the internal front,” Çiftçi said the following:
“For many years we engaged in fights with one another. Our strength and power dwindled, and we became divided. Therefore, after that, the impact of our word also diminished. In this respect, our President’s call to ‘strengthen the internal front’ was extremely important. Indeed, we saw it within two years. Parliament took ownership of this matter, this process. A Terror-Free Türkiye has become a state policy. Then Mr. Devlet Bahçeli gave strong support. Our esteemed President had already put strong political will into this matter from the very beginning.”
“PERHAPS WE WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO MAKE A CIVILIAN CONSTITUTION”
Referring to the work carried out in the Turkish Grand National Assembly regarding the process, Çiftçi noted that the Speaker of Parliament personally chaired 21 meetings on the matter and spoke as follows:
“Our Speaker of Parliament personally chaired 21 meetings in Parliament concerning a Terror-Free Türkiye. And the decisions taken at those meetings later turned into a legal basis in Parliament, and with the support of our 467 deputies, a very fine and strong law emerged. The will of these 467 deputies is also important in this respect: It means that in certain matters in Türkiye, our deputies, the political will, can come together. We have shown that we can come together. God willing, as a result of this strong will, perhaps we will also be able to make a civilian constitution. After seeing this picture of 467, I am hopeful about this as well.”
“WAS ANY BARGAINING DONE? ABSOLUTELY NOT”
Arguing that no bargaining was done with the terrorist organization and no concessions were given within the scope of the process, Çiftçi used the following statements:
“Recently, a political consensus that had not existed in Türkiye was experienced. And a very fine law emerged. As a result of this law, was any bargaining done with the terrorist organization? Absolutely not. Was any concession given? No. Whatever the will of our President, whatever the will of our state, whatever the will of our Parliament, that was accepted and we are currently moving along that line. At this point, let our citizens have no concern whatsoever.”
“WE ARE LIVING THROUGH THE STRONGEST PERIOD OF THE LAST 200 YEARS”
Claiming that domestic and external conditions are suitable for the process to succeed, Çiftçi noted the following:
“At present, the domestic conjuncture and the external conjuncture are extremely suitable for the process to succeed. We are living through the strongest period of the last 200 years. At present, our state is in its strongest period. Türkiye has now become a regional power with global influence. God willing, a Terror-Free Türkiye, a terror-free region; this process will succeed. I have not the slightest concern or doubt about this.”
“WE DID NOT RECEIVE SUPPORT FROM ANY OTHER COUNTRY”
Claiming that countries such as the United Kingdom, Spain, the Philippines and Cambodia, which went through similar processes, received support from outside, Çiftçi emphasized that Türkiye is carrying out the process with its own will:
“We ourselves undertook this task. We ourselves put forward this will. We did not receive support from any other country. In the past, there were countries that went through similar processes. Various countries such as the United Kingdom, Spain, the Philippines and Cambodia went through similar processes. But each of those countries definitely received support from elsewhere. We are doing this with our own will. We are doing it with the strength of our own nation. Therefore, our nation has also made its will clear on this matter. God willing, we will achieve results within a short time. We will again strengthen our unity, togetherness and brotherhood.”
“WE WILL ALL WIN, TÜRKİYE WILL WIN”
Also touching on the process’s contribution to the region’s provinces, Çiftçi announced that the number of tourists coming to Diyarbakır increased from 1 million 200 thousand to 1 million 300 thousand compared with the same period last year:
“While around 1 million 200 thousand domestic and foreign tourists came to Diyarbakır last year, 1 million 300 thousand people came in the same period this year. God willing, even more will come next year. This is not only in Diyarbakır. It will be the same in Batman. It will be the same in Hakkari. The same developments will be experienced in the region’s other provinces. Our region will also win from this. Eastern Anatolia will also win. Southeastern Anatolia will also win. We will all win. In the end, Türkiye will win.”
EXAMPLE OF CUDI AND CILO
Citing the events on Mount Cudi in Şırnak and the festival held on Mount Cilo in Hakkari as examples, Çiftçi said, “These will become widespread. Even finer examples will emerge. I want to state here in your presence that the coming days will be finer and more auspicious than the past days.”