Speaking at a reception at the Prime Ministry for Turkey's disabled war veterans, Martyrs' Widows and Orphans Association President Taner Uran and the group's executive board, Erdoğan said: “We need to address all matters within a process that is removed from emotionality, which maintains as its aim the unity and togetherness of our people and as we always say, with an understanding of one people, one flag, one land and one state. It is absolutely impossible to leave space for speculation, even once, on the unitary structure [of our state] -- because there's a struggle that took years to allow for the establishment of this structure. … There's a source, a toll that stretches back for over 24 years to the war of independence.”
Erdoğan's words came at the beginning of the meeting and seemed to reference his Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) current initiative to solve Turkey's decades-old Kurdish problem, which involves intricate elements of terrorism and ethnic separatism. The prime minister expressed his pleasure at gathering with the group, saying: “It is of great importance for us to be gathered with you here, whether on the occasion of the solid steps taken to address the problem of terror in our nation, the democratic initiative project that we've started to solve the same problem or the efforts to unify all of Turkey.”
The politician said that without a doubt Turkey has had a very unfortunate past 25-year period. “What a shame that we had to all together pay such a sorry toll [to struggle against] those within and abroad who took aim at our country's unity and togetherness. There's been blood and tears spilt during this time. There have been crying mothers and fathers and also the voice of our people. Had the steps that are being taken in this period been taken 24 years ago, perhaps conditions would not be as they are today,” he said.
Erdoğan said that the country has made progress though, stating that Turkey has gone through periods of psychological, sociological, military and political development and that now in particular it is going through a period of economic change. “What is left to everyone now is to leave emotionality aside and take responsibility as a people to take bold steps forward,” he said. Uran and the other board members spoke after the conclusion of the meeting with Erdoğan. Responding to a press question over whether the board members were satisfied with Erdoğan's remarks, Uran said: “Truth be told, we were relieved by the esteemed prime minister's words regarding ‘one state, one people, one land and one flag' and his saying that there was no space even for speculation over the unitary state structure.”
Gen. Başbuğ’s remarks on unitary state structure
Chief of General Staff İlker Başbuğ also released a statement yesterday on the occasion of the Victory Week that will culminate in the Victory Day holiday Aug. 30. “The Turkish Armed Forces [TSK] will not accept the harming of the nation-state or unitary state structure for any reason,” he said in his statement. Başbuğ also made remarks of respect toward cultural differences in his statement but said that such differences could not be politicized or made mention of inside the Turkish Constitution. “No activity may take place that would pave the path for the establishment of a relationship with the terrorist [PKK] and its supporters,” he warned. Meanwhile, Başbuğ is expected to host a reception for the families of slain Turkish soldiers -- about 800 families -- in the coming days.
Gen. Başbuğ called on the PKK members to surrender at a reception at the Naval Forces Commandership. "Come on and surrender. Trust the Turkish justice," he said..
