Türkiye’s intelligence chief has said Ankara’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative is being pursued as a state policy, stressing that the country will continue combating all terrorist groups simultaneously while advancing a broader regional security strategy.
Speaking about the evolving regional security challenges, National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalın noted last week that Türkiye has drawn lessons from ongoing regional crises and continues to strengthen its institutional capabilities to address emerging threats.
Addressing the latest stage of the terror-free Türkiye initiative, Kalın said the country had passed several critical milestones, including the PKK’s decision to dissolve and lay down arms, the withdrawal of its cadres from Türkiye and the start of a dismantling effort in northern Iraq.
“The terror-free Türkiye initiative is being carried out as a state policy,” Kalın stressed. He added that the authorities remain confident that the state's roadmap will succeed with broad public support, patience and a constructive approach across society.
The initiative was launched by government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli in 2024. PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan later agreed to Bahçeli’s invitation and called on the group to lay down arms.
