Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Üsküdar University, met with students after the Council of Higher Education requested that the goal of “Turkey Without Terrorism” be addressed in universities' 2026-2027 academic year opening ceremonies and first lectures. Kaynak thoroughly evaluated issues of terrorism, security, and conflict management.
“The main issue is not accessing information”
Prof. Kaynak pointed out that with technological advancements, humanity's relationship with information has changed, emphasizing that universities' responsibility is not limited to merely transferring information.
Stating that students can access vast information resources through their mobile devices, Prof. Kaynak said, “You carry it in your pocket; you carry Harvard’s library, Stanford’s library in your pocket. From that perspective, the main issue is not accessing information.”
Prof. Kaynak stated that academics with diverse thoughts and fields of study constitute the richness of the university, saying, “We can bring different analyses, provide breakthroughs. We can explain the same subject in different languages. This signifies the richness of the university; it does not mean that one is right and another is wrong.”
“We must address the issue in an academic, impartial, and neutral framework”
Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak stated that the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) requested a presentation on “Turkey Without Terrorism” during the opening and orientation period at universities, saying, “The Council of Higher Education made a decision and requested that a presentation on ‘Turkey Without Terrorism’ be given to all universities during the opening and orientation period. I will give that presentation. This is my area of expertise. I am someone who has been working on, writing about, drawing attention to this issue for a very long time, and has been part of this process for years.”
Prof. Kaynak stated that Prof. Havva Kök Arslan, one of the faculty members, was involved in preparing the bill in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and that he himself participated as a speaker in the commission.
Terror and terrorism are different things
Prof. Kaynak used the analogy that a tree should be evaluated not only by its visible branches but also by its roots and the ecosystem it inhabits, stating that the conditions nourishing terrorist organizations should also be analyzed.
Prof. Kaynak said, “Terrorist organizations of the PKK type are not very numerous in the world; that is, terrorist organizations that have been long-standing and supported by very broad masses are not very common. There is the IRA; what they call the Irish Republican Army. There is FARC in Colombia. There is ETA, related to the Basque Country in Spain, sometimes extending to the French side. These are structures that have been present in the world for a long time, causing suffering to their own states and peoples, and pursuing their political struggles within an armed framework. Terror and terrorism are different things. If someone comes armed and shoots everyone here, it creates terror. Terror means horror.”
“It must lead to a political outcome”
Addressing the distinction between the concepts of terror and terrorism, Prof. Kaynak stated that terrorism should be evaluated based on its political aims and the psychological effects it intends to create in society.
Prof. Kaynak continued, saying, “For something to be terrorism, it must absolutely have a political aim”:
“It must lead to a political outcome and generate a psychopolitical reaction. It must generate fear, anxiety, and within that psychopolitical framework it produces, it must transform into a political behavior, a reaction.”
Stating that the effects of terrorist acts are not limited to direct loss of life, Prof. Kaynak said that the reflection of feelings of fear, anger, and revenge on political behaviors should also be addressed within this framework.
There is a difference between conflict management and conflict resolution
Stating that conflict management and conflict resolution are different concepts, Prof. Kaynak evaluated the process carried out in 2013 within the framework of conflict management.
Addressing the “Turkey Without Terrorism” process in the context of regional developments and geopolitical security concerns, Kaynak stated that regional conditions were decisive in the PKK’s liquidation process, and a conjuncture emerged that made it difficult for the organization to maintain its existence.
Non-state actors are being pushed out of the system!
Stating that non-state actors in the region are progressively losing ground, Prof. Kaynak said, “One of the most important reasons for the PKK’s liquidation is the emergence of a regional conjuncture where the PKK cannot exist even if it wanted to. Non-state actors are now being pushed out of the system.”
Referring to the roles of structures such as al-Qaeda affiliates, ISIS, Wagner, Hezbollah, and Hamas in the region, Prof. Kaynak used the expression, “The PKK has currently collided with a zeitgeist in the region where it can no longer sustain its existence.”
“The psychology of the process needs to be managed step by step”
Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak stated that terrorism in Turkey has, over time, formed a structure with economic, political, and psychological dimensions, emphasizing that the transition from conflict to peace must also be managed socially. Prof. Kaynak said, “At the point we have reached today, there is a mature terrorism economy, a terrorism industry, a terrorism psychology, and a terrorism politics in Turkey. Jumping from here to there is not that easy. ‘Okay, I’ve been fighting until now, let’s all make peace together.’ Those things don’t happen that easily. Its psychology needs to be managed, it needs to be guided step by step.”
Prof. Kaynak also made evaluations regarding the legal dimension of the process, arguing that the acceptance in Parliament did not find the same degree of resonance in society.
“There is no international oversight within this process”
Prof. Kaynak made statements regarding the surrender of weapons and the monitoring of the process, saying that international organizations took part in disarmament processes in different countries, but in Turkey, the process was not left to the oversight of a third party. Kaynak continued:
“Weapons will be surrendered, and monitoring and observation committees will be established during the surrender of these weapons. When other organizations laid down their arms, third parties were always involved; international institutions stepped in and ensured the weapons and the continuity of peace. Due to Turkey’s historical lack of trust, Turkey absolutely does not leave it to a third party. It says, ‘We two parties will resolve it among ourselves.’ This means there is no international oversight within this process.”
“No general amnesty is being granted; there is a deferment of execution”
Prof. Kaynak stated that he did not evaluate the legal regulations regarding the process within the scope of a general amnesty, saying, “No general amnesty is being granted; there is a deferment of execution. No pardon is given to any murderers. There are only some young people and children who have not carried arms and are in the mountains; they will return.”
Referring to the situation of organization leaders abroad, Kaynak said, “It appears that some terrorist leaders living in foreign countries will not be allowed to return to Turkey. Separate arrangements seem to be made for them.”
Prof. Kaynak stated that individuals within the scope of the process would be monitored for a long time and that deferred sentences would be executed if they engaged in terrorist activities again. Kaynak said that a central tracking system would be established, stating, “There is the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, MIT is involved, and there are some bureaucratic mechanisms. Consequently, applications will be made within six months, and the most important thing here is the absence of a third eye.”
“We are still in the conflict management phase”
Evaluating the current stage within the framework of conflict management, Prof. Kaynak emphasized that Turkey’s security concerns are decisive in the process.
Prof. Kaynak concluded by saying, “The point we have reached right now is still not conflict resolution; we are in the conflict management phase. The main reason for this is that Turkey is currently experiencing very serious security concerns. Not only Turkey, but the entire world is currently in a world war environment.”
