Turkey’s Parliament Approves Legal Framework for PKK Disarmament and Reintegration in Ankara

Turkey’s parliament approved on Monday a legal framework for the disarmament and reintegration of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Ankara, Türkiye, as part of the “Terror-Free Turkey” process aimed at ending a decades-long conflict.

“Of 562 lawmakers present, 468 voted in favor and 88 against, with six abstentions”

Xinhua

Xinhua said the vote involved 562 lawmakers present, with 468 voting in favor, 88 against, and six abstentions after nearly 10 hours of debate, and it described the draft as endorsed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling alliance and backed by the pro-Kurdish DEM Party and other opposition groups.

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Reuters reported the law was approved by 468 votes in the 600-seat parliament after securing support from Erdogan’s AK Party, its nationalist MHP allies and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, and it said the measure establishes legal protections for many former militants who have not committed specific crimes.

The legislation is framed as facilitating disarmament rather than granting a general amnesty, and it excludes jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, senior PKK leaders, and those serving aggravated life sentences, according to Xinhua.

Reuters added that the law does not resolve the status of Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on Imrali island since 1999, and it said the conflict has killed more than 40,000 people.

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş called the passage a “historic achievement” and said, “This success does not belong to one party. It is a success for all of Türkiye,” after the vote, according to BGNES.

BGNES also quoted Turkish Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran describing the law as an “important demonstration of the political will behind the ‘Terror-Free Turkey’ initiative,” and it said the next stage should involve the complete surrender of the PKK’s weapons and its dissolution.

BGNES

Reuters said the measure is the most concrete step taken by Ankara since jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan called on the group in February 2025 to disarm and disband, and it described the law as addressing what will happen to thousands of PKK members as the group dismantles its military and organisational structures.

The Shafaq News account, citing Anadolu Agency, said the bill sets out procedures for suspending investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and related proceedings once authorities determine that the PKK/KCK and affiliated groups have ended their activities and surrendered their weapons.

Rudaw reported that the PKK criticized the legislation, saying the peace process cannot be fully implemented unless their 77-year-old leader is granted the legal pathway to “free life and work” needed to lead the process.

The law’s implementation is contingent on confirmation by Turkish institutions that the PKK has surrendered its weapons and ended its organizational existence, and Reuters said the government described the initiative as part of its goal of creating a “terror-free Turkey.”

“The government has described the initiative as part of its goal of creating a "terror-free Turkey"”

Reuters

BGNES reported that once the law enters into force, progress of the process will be monitored by a parliamentary commission and verified on the ground, with findings reviewed by Türkiye’s National Security Council and then published in the Official Gazette.

Kurdistan24 said DEM Party lawmaker Ibrahim Akın estimated the proposed framework could affect up to 75,000 people, while DEM Party MP Serhat Eren said around 4,800 people are currently imprisoned in Türkiye on charges related to PKK membership or armed activities and that approximately 3,900 could potentially benefit.

Shafaq News said the legislation covers offenses including membership in, assistance to, or promotion of the PKK, along with “terrorism-financing offenses” carried out on its behalf, and it said PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, 77, has been imprisoned on Imrali Island in the Sea of Marmara since 1999.

Reuters emphasized that the law does not by itself resolve broader Kurdish demands for expanded political and cultural rights, changes to anti-terrorism legislation or the status of Ocalan, leaving the peace process’s next steps tied to disarmament verification and subsequent legal outcomes.