Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said at a press conference held at the AK Party provincial headquarters in Osmaniye that Türkiye had lost at least 2.3 trillion dollars due to terrorism. Yılmaz said this loss also included agriculture and tourism activities that could not be carried out and investments that did not come, adding that the greatest loss was human life. He extended his condolences to the martyrs and thanked veterans and the families of the martyrs.
Yılmaz said terrorism had created a barrier to democracy and development, adding that Türkiye had achieved its progress to date despite terrorism and various attempts to obstruct it. He said Türkiye needed to free itself from the “shackles on its feet” and build the Century of Türkiye more rapidly, stating that the foundation of this was for Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Laz, Circassians, Alevis and Sunnis to live together in fraternity.
Yılmaz said the AK Party met with citizens, tradespeople and different segments of society not only during election periods but constantly in the field, adding that policies were shaped in line with the demands of the people. Reiterating the goal of a “terror-free Türkiye, terror-free region,” Yılmaz announced that a commission had been established in Parliament with the participation of all parties, a law had been passed with 467 votes, and work had begun.
Why it matters
The statement presents a framework that addresses the issue of terrorism not only through security spending and loss of life but also in terms of unused economic capacity. This approach shows that security conditions are directly linked to development policies, particularly for decision-makers in agriculture, tourism and investment. The commission’s work, conducted in Parliament with the participation of different parties, indicates that the issue has moved beyond the boundaries of government policy and onto parliamentary ground. However, the statements provide no details on what steps will be taken to implement this process on the ground, how economic losses will be compensated, or how social consensus will be maintained. Thus, the focus of the debate is shifting from announcing the goal to turning it into concrete and inclusive policies.
Background
Türkiye is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 46 reports mentioning this name in the past 90 days; the latest is dated September 11, 2026.