MILF chief thanks Türkiye for backing peace process

SULTAN KUDARAT, MDN – Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim has thanked the government of Türkiye for its continued support for the BangsamLRALoro peace process, following a visit by Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines Kaan Esener and his delegation to the MILF's main headquarters here.

In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on November 1, Murad thanked Esener and his delegation for the visit and for bringing the for warm greetings of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He said the Bangsamoro deeply appreciates Türkiye's continued support for the peace process and for the welfare and development of the Bangsamoro people.

Murad said the visit further strengthened the friendship, solidarity and cooperation between Türkiye and the Bangsamoro. He expressed hope that their partnership would help bring a more peaceful and prosperous future to the region.

Türkiye has long been an international partner in the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the MILF and in the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). It has chaired the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB) since 2014 and was a member of the International Contact Group (ICG), which supported the peace negotiations.

Türkiye has also provided development and humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected communities in Mindanao through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA). In 2018, TİKA turned over a PHP7-million mobile operating clinic to the MILF, which later entrusted it to the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) for community health services.

TİKA has also given farm equipment and vegetable seeds to agricultural cooperatives and has supported projects in education, healthcare, livelihood and humanitarian relief.