Terrorism will be over after April 16: Turkish PM

By Ahmet Sait Akcay and Emin Avundukluoglu

BINGOL/MUS, Turkey

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Sunday vowed to put an end to terrorism in Turkey after the April 16 referendum on constitutional changes.

"I promise you, this terrorist group [PKK] will be over after April 16. God willing, 'yes' will win [in the referendum] and the [Fetullah Terror Organization] FETO, PKK and Daesh will all be done with," he said at a Yes campaign rally in eastern Bingol province.

Yildirim said the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party embraced all ethnicities in Turkey, and called on everyone to be united under the Yes campaign.

“No ethnic group living on this land is superior to another. All citizens living in this country including the Zazas, Kurds, Turks, Arabs, Roma people, Turkmen and others are all dear to our heart," he said.

The premier added that the proposed amendments to the constitution would further contribute to democracy.

"It will raise the standards of democracy and contribute to the culture of reconciliation," he said.

The constitutional changes have been discussed since Erdogan was voted president in August 2014. The 18-article bill was passed by parliament in January, with 339 votes in favor -- nine more than needed to put the proposal to a referendum.

The reforms would hand wide-ranging executive powers to the president and the post of prime minister would be abolished. The president would also be allowed to retain ties to a political party.

Other changes would see the minimum age for parliamentary candidates reduced to 18 and the number of deputies rise to 600. Simultaneous parliamentary and presidential elections for a five-year term would be held in November 2019 under the new constitution.

"FETO, PKK are pack of bloody murderers."

In an other rally on constitutional referendum in Turkey's eastern Mus province, Yildirim said the PKK and FETO terrorist organizations were supported by foreign power groups. "Both the separatist terrorist organization PKK and murdering FETO do not want the favors of Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Zazas [in the region]."

Yildirim said foreign supporters, which he did not name, of both terrorist organizations "wanted to pit brother against brother to establish a new layout in the region according to their interest."

He added: "FETO, wants to topple the country, is a murdering terrorist organization under the mask of religion. The PKK is also a separatist terrorist organizations under the mask of leftism. However, they are not religious or leftist or national or native, they are pack of bloody murderers."

Since it resumed its armed campaign in July 2015, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of approximately 1,200 security personnel and civilians, including women and children.

Turkey holds the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) responsible for last July’s defeated coup that martyred at least 248 people and wounded around 2,200 others, as well as a concerted campaign to infiltrate and undermine the Turkish state and society.