Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said today that politicians will begin holding talks on outstanding issues as soon as the armed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fulfills its promise to disarm and disband.

In a speech to deputies of his ruling AKP party in parliament, Erdogan said it is important that the PKK partners in Syria and Europe also make decisions, such as disbanding the PKK to disband.

The Turkish president also expressed his belief that his country’s practice of appointing “commissioners” to replace elected mayors will now rarely happen if the PKK is dissolved.

Turkey has repeatedly removed and replaced dozens of elected mayors from the pro-Kurdish party as suspected of links to the PKK. It has also replaced mayors from the main opposition party.

Erdogan also today expressed his thanks to US President Donald Trump for his announcement that he was lifting all sanctions he had imposed on the Syrian government.

In his speech to his party MPs, the Turkish president also said he has confidence in “my friend Trump’s support” for Turkey’s efforts to end the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.