Analyse
Multiple reputable news outlets reported that during a 2016 press conference on a diplomatic visit, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated, "We do not have a problem called 'Kurdish issue.' There is a terrorism problem. The day terrorism ends, all issues will be resolved." The wording matches the quoted statement, confirming its accuracy. No evidence contradicts this attribution.
Achtergrond
The comment was made amid ongoing tensions between the Turkish state and Kurdish separatist groups, particularly the PKK, following the collapse of a peace process in 2015. Erdoğan’s remarks were intended to frame the conflict as a security issue rather than an ethnic or political one. The statement drew criticism from Kurdish politicians and human‑rights groups who argue that political grievances also need to be addressed.
Samenvatting verdict
Erdoğan indeed said there is no separate "Kurdish issue," only a terrorism problem, and that ending terrorism would resolve all issues.