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Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and the head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), Ibrahim Kalın, held talks on the terror-free Türkiye initiative on Wednesday.
A statement released by the parliament said that Kalın briefed Kurtulmuş about the progress of the initiative.
The two also discussed the planned roadmap following the beginning of the PKK terrorist group’s arms surrender and the proposed parliamentary commission that will oversee the next phase of the process.
The MIT is tasked with monitoring the PKK’s disarmament process.
Earlier on Wednesday, the PKK terrorist group’s imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan appeared in a video and reaffirmed the group’s commitment to dissolution. It is the first video message of Öcalan, who serves a life sentence in an island prison off the coast of Istanbul. It came ahead of an anticipated ceremony of PKK members to lay down arms.
The message is another milestone in the terror-free Türkiye initiative launched last year by government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The initiative started with a call to Öcalan to urge his group to abandon arms. Öcalan consented and made the call in February through a written message. In his video message shot in June, Öcalan said a political framework was key to the success of the initiative.
Öcalan urged Parliament to set up a commission to oversee disarmament and manage a broader peace process.
He said the PKK had ended its separatist agenda, describing the shift as a “historic gain.” “The overall process of voluntary disarmament and the comprehensive commission envisioned to be established … by the Turkish Grand National Assembly (Parliament) are crucial. Care and sensitivity are essential,” Öcalan said.
