Ümit Özdağ criticizes Turkey's PKK amnesty and constitutional reforms

Zafer Partisi Chairman Ümit Özdağ has issued strong criticisms regarding recent legislative developments in Turkey, specifically targeting a new amnesty law related to the PKK and proposed constitutional changes.

Speaking at the opening of the Altındağ District Presidency, Özdağ claimed that the amnesty law, signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, creates a legal framework that could allow figures such as Murat Karayılan to move freely within the country. He expressed concern that the law is part of a broader effort to meet the demands of the PKK and Abdullah Öcalan through legal and constitutional amendments.

Özdağ further characterized the current political climate as a ‘slow-motion destruction’ of the Republic founded by Atatürk. He argued that the state bureaucracy has been weakened by the replacement of secular officials with members of religious sects and groups like FETÖ. Additionally, he raised alarms over demographic shifts, noting that approximately 13 million foreigners were living in Turkey as of 2023, with concerns regarding the granting of citizenship to large numbers of migrants.