Mehmet Uçum details Öcalan's role in Turkey's terror-free process

Presidential Chief Advisor Mehmet Uçum has provided details regarding the ‘Terörsüz Türkiye’ (Terror-free Turkey) process. He announced that Abdullah Öcalan will be assigned a role within the Disarmament and Strategic Coordination Sub-commission. Uçum clarified that a new residence constructed at İmralı is an extension of the prison designed to facilitate Öcalan’s participation in the dialogue process, emphasizing that this is not a release or a privilege, but a means to ensure the effective dissolution of the terrorist organization.

Regarding legal frameworks, Uçum noted that while a specific law governs this process, the Ministry of Justice is also working on a general execution law to address prison overcrowding, which has exceeded 440,000 inmates. He stressed that the special law for the terror-free process should not serve as a precedent for others.

In political developments, Uçum predicted the next general elections will take place on April 16, 2028, noting that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will run for office one last time. Meanwhile, Yeni Parti leader Özgür Özel criticized recent ‘Ailem Güvende’ operations targeting various associations, calling them unconstitutional and poorly executed, while suggesting that true social contribution to the peace process would involve the release of Selahattin Demirtaş.