09.11.2026 13:20
President Erdoğan made statements regarding the Terror-Free Turkey process upon his return from Azerbaijan. Emphasizing that there is no turning back in the process, Erdoğan responded to a question about the timeline with the Latin phrase "Festina lente," meaning "Make haste slowly." Erdoğan said, "We are acting carefully but swiftly, and God forbid, we do not want to allow an accident," stating that they aim to complete the stages of the surrender of weapons and verification.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with journalists on the plane on his return to Türkiye after his visit to Azerbaijan. In the interview, which also included Ülke TV General News Director Hasan Öztürk, Erdoğan assessed the stage reached in the Terror-Free Türkiye and Terror-Free Region process. Erdoğan made statements on many topics, from the process's timetable to the disarmament stage and from the monitoring commission's work to the National Security Council decision, and also explained his goals regarding the COP31 Climate Summit to be held in Antalya.
"THERE WILL BE NO TURNING BACK FROM THIS"
Speaking about the work carried out in line with the goals of Terror-Free Türkiye and a Terror-Free Region, Erdoğan stressed that there should be no hesitation or concern regarding the process. Stating that the People's Alliance and all state institutions strongly owned the process, Erdoğan expressed their determination to resolve the half-century-old terrorism issue.
Saying that the nation and the state had made their decision, determined the road map and taken action to leave this problem behind, Erdoğan said, "There will be no turning back from this."
COMPLETE HANDOVER OF WEAPONS IS PRIORITY TARGET
Erdoğan stated that one of the most important stages in the progress of the process is the organization completing its dissolution process with all its elements. Emphasizing that the weapons in the organization's possession must be handed over completely, the President said that concrete detection and confirmation of this situation by the relevant state institutions is the priority issue.
Stating that developments on the ground are being closely followed by the relevant state institutions and the government, Erdoğan explained that the caves are being evacuated in line with a specific plan and that these efforts will continue. He pointed out that the process must advance not only through statements but through concrete developments on the ground.
HE SIGNALED THE NEAR FUTURE FOR THE MONITORING COMMISSION
Also touching on the institutional stages of the Terror-Free Türkiye process, Erdoğan stated that he believes the Monitoring Commission will be established within a short time. Saying that the commission under the chairmanship of Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz continues its work, Erdoğan announced that the sub-commission will also become operational soon.
Stating that some circles did not think the process could progress smoothly up to this stage, Erdoğan emphasized that they nevertheless maintained their determined stance. The President stated that, rather than announcing a definite date, they are focused on completing all stages in a healthy, complete and irreversible manner.
"MAKE HASTE SLOWLY"
Responding to the question of when the process would be completed, Erdoğan resorted to a Latin expression and recalled the phrase "Festina lente." With this expression, which means "Make haste slowly" in Turkish, he explained that the process must be carried out both carefully and quickly.
Erdoğan used the following statements on the matter:
"There is a saying in Latin, 'Festina lente,' meaning 'Make haste slowly.' We, too, are acting carefully but swiftly, and we do not want to allow a mishap, God forbid."
The President said they hope that the detection and confirmation stages will be completed in the not-too-distant future and that the National Security Council decision stage will then be reached. Stating that all their efforts are in this direction, he expressed that they aim to conclude the process without causing any disruption.
MESSAGE FROM ANTALYA TO THE WORLD FOR THE COP31 SUMMIT
In his statements on the plane, President Erdoğan also touched on the COP31 Climate Summit to be held in Antalya. Responding to the question about Türkiye's expectations from the summit, Erdoğan said the organization would contribute to a better understanding by the international public of the country's approach and goals on climate.
Stating that Türkiye does not approach the problems it faces only at the level of discourse, Erdoğan said they base their approach on taking concrete and sustainable steps while producing solutions. He emphasized that climate change, if necessary measures are not taken, will affect not only today but also the future far more severely.
Erdoğan gave a message on environmental protection with the words, "Let us not forget, the world is our home and we have no right to pollute it."
"IT IS TIME TO TAKE ACTION, NOT FOR WORDS THAT REMAIN ON PAPER"
Saying they do not want COP31 to be merely a meeting where leaders gather, speeches are made and declarations are published, Erdoğan stated that the summit is important in terms of achieving concrete results.
Emphasizing that Türkiye's goal is to create a platform where countries turn their climate commitments into implementation, Erdoğan used the following statements:
"Because it is now time to take action, not for words that will remain on paper."
Stating that climate justice is one of the priority topics for Türkiye, Erdoğan said that many issues such as raising awareness, green industrialization, resilient cities and climate practices will be addressed at the summit in Antalya.
The President stated that at COP31 they will focus on concrete steps that can secure humanity's common future and pointed out that the international community must assume more responsibility in the fight against climate change.