Erdoğan says "terror no longer exists" in Bakur under "Terror-Free Turkey" process

Rastinews — President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed the government's "Terror-Free Turkey" process at a youth gathering in Samsun on Monday. He claimed that "terror no longer exists" in Bakur and said the goal was to bring "an atmosphere of peace" to the wider region.

"There is no such thing as terror left in the southeast and east"

"We had huge problems with terrorism in the southeast and east," Erdoğan said. "But thank God, there is no such thing as terror left in the southeast and east now." He argued that livestock farming had revived in the highlands and that residents could now graze their sheep and cattle freely.

Erdoğan's remarks were reported by T24. No independent verification of the claim, nor a separate statement from Kurdish political circles, was available at the time this report was prepared.

Mecca Defense Pact: "There are good developments, we will succeed"

Erdoğan also touched on tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf, pointing to the Mecca Defense Pact signed between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. "We say let's overcome the Islamic world's troubles as soon as possible," he said. "To achieve that, Turkey has put its weight behind the region, is putting it now, and will keep doing so." He described "good developments" on the pact and predicted the process would succeed.

PKK dissolution began a year ago

The "Terror-Free Turkey" process began after PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan called on the organization and its affiliated structures on February 27, 2025 to end armed struggle and dissolve. The PKK responded by declaring a ceasefire effective March 1, 2025.

Following messages Öcalan sent to its congress, the PKK announced at its 12th Congress, held May 5-7, 2025, that it had dissolved its organizational structure and ended its armed struggle. Members of the organization laid down their weapons in a symbolic ceremony on July 11, 2025.