Türkiye to unveil ‘Terror-Free Türkiye’ legal framework before recess

Türkiye expects to present a legal framework for its “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative before Parliament adjourns for its summer recess, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chair and spokesman Ömer Çelik said Monday, as the government intensifies efforts to cement the country’s anti-terror strategy through legislation.

Speaking after the AK Party Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Çelik said officials were holding lengthy meetings almost every day to finalize the legal groundwork for the process.

“Our preparations for the Terror-Free Türkiye initiative are continuing,” Çelik said. “We hold meetings almost every day. Sometimes we meet twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. God willing, we will have established this legal framework before Parliament closes.”

Çelik said the initiative has entered a new phase focused on ensuring the disarmament of terrorist organizations while advancing Türkiye’s broader goal of creating a terror-free region.

He described the process as multidimensional, involving political, legal, intelligence and strategic considerations, and said it has been carried out as a state policy under President Erdoğan’s directives, with support from Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli and parliamentary efforts led by Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş.

“The goal is to free Türkiye from the burden of terrorism,” Çelik said, adding that the current stage requires “fine craftsmanship” to establish both a sound legal basis and a constructive political atmosphere.

Calling for responsible political discourse, Çelik urged all parties to avoid polarization and ideological rhetoric that could undermine the process.

“This is not the time for propaganda,” he said. “This is the time to speak with a language that can reach every citizen.”

Emphasizing national unity, Çelik said all citizens enjoy equal status under the Republic.

“In Türkiye, everyone is a first-class citizen,” he said. “Our names may be different, but our shared surname is the Republic of Türkiye.”

He also praised political parties that have taken what he described as a constructive approach in Parliament’s commission on the initiative, including opposition parties that have supported dialogue while avoiding inflammatory rhetoric.

Çelik stressed that despite numerous provocations and attempts to sabotage the process, the government has remained committed to keeping it on course.

“No matter what happened, we said we would keep this issue on the main road and prevent it from being diverted,” he said.

The AK Party spokesperson also announced preparations for the party’s 25th anniversary celebrations, saying a commemorative logo and new institutional branding will be unveiled ahead of the Aug. 14 anniversary.

DAILYSABAH