Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a meeting with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Tuesday. The primary focus of their discussions was Türkiye’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, an effort to eradicate terrorism in the country, alongside ongoing constitutional reform efforts.
The “terror-free Türkiye” initiative gained momentum following a pivotal appeal by Bahçeli in 2024, which called on the imprisoned leader of the PKK, Abdullah Öcalan, to urge his group to lay down arms. This appeal led to Öcalan issuing a call for disarmament in February 2025, sparking a process towards eliminating terrorism in the region. The Turkish government is considering legal measures to support this initiative, including potential leniency for PKK members not directly involved in acts of terrorism.
In addition to the domestic agenda, regional issues were also anticipated to play a significant role in the talks. Among these was the Türkiye-Libya maritime boundary agreement, which recently received approval from Libya’s House of Representatives. Other topics likely to be discussed included the impending Mecca motion expected to be presented to Parliament and the Badr Memorandum.
This meeting marks the fourth encounter between Erdoğan and Bahçeli this year, with previous meetings taking place on January 21, April 30, and August 26. The ongoing dialogue between the two leaders underscores the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing both internal and regional challenges facing Türkiye.