Cengiz Çandar sparks controversy over Turkey's political process

DEM Party Diyarbakır Deputy Cengiz Çandar has sparked controversy regarding the framework law introduced under the ‘Terror-free Turkey’ initiative. Çandar stated that the law aims to integrate thousands of individuals associated with the PKK, including those in prison or exile, by facilitating the postponement of their sentences.

He argued that if the organization's leadership in İmralı and Kandil accepts the process, opposition to the law is unfounded. Addressing critics from both Kurdish and Turkish intellectual circles, Çandar remarked, ‘If you don't like it, the mountains await you.’

These comments drew sharp criticism from the AKP. Former AKP MKYK member Şamil Tayyar described the statements as ‘provocative’ and ‘smelling of heavy provocation,’ warning that the DEM Party’s divisive language could infect the political process and lead to heavy political consequences.