 who agree to lay down their arms, in what officials describe as a key step in the country’s ongoing peace efforts with the militant group, according to a Friday report by the pro-government Türkiye daily.){kind=link}
Turkey’s parliament is preparing to draft a landmark law that would drop terrorism-related charges against members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) who agree to lay down their arms, in what officials describe as a key step in the country’s ongoing peace efforts with the militant group, according to a Friday report by the pro-government Türkiye daily.
A parliamentary commission, tasked with overseeing the next phase of the state-led process aimed at ending the PKK’s armed campaign and transitioning toward legal and political reconciliation, will outline the legal status of members of the armed group who voluntarily renounce violence.
The initiative comes amid reports of continued arms disposal by PKK militants and forms part of the so-called “Terrorism-Free Turkey” roadmap backed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
The renewed process was initiated in October 2024 by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, a key government ally. Bahçeli publicly called on jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan to urge the militant group, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, to lay down its arms. Öcalan responded in February with a message calling on the PKK to disarm and disband.
On July 11 a group of 30 PKK fighters held a high-profile ceremony in Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq, where they publicly destroyed their weapons in what was described as the first step toward ending the group’s four-decade armed conflict against the Turkish state.
According to Türkiye, the parliamentary commission will operate behind closed doors but maintain full transcripts of its meetings. Legal scholars, former public officials involved in the previous peace process with the PKK, civil society organizations and other stakeholders will be consulted to help draft the legislation. The aim is to design a framework that defines the legal consequences of laying down arms, including whether prosecutions, investigations or ongoing trials should be dropped.
AKP officials say the current legal framework lacks a clear mechanism for handling former militants who have abandoned their arms and that the existing “effective remorse” provisions are inadequate. The proposed law would introduce a formal verification process and drop charges of terrorist organization membership for those confirmed to have disarmed.
“If a terrorist organization member has laid down arms and this is verified, any pending prosecution, investigation or legal proceedings for membership in a terrorist group would be dropped,” one AKP source was quoted as saying. “However, if that individual has committed other crimes, such as murder, they would still face trial for those acts.”
The commission will also prepare a reintegration plan for former PKK members who return to Turkey, covering issues such as education, employment and military service. Each ministry will be expected to contribute to a broader policy package to this effect.
The new initiative could also pave the way for renewed contact with Öcalan. Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) is expected to provide periodic field updates to the commission, and a delegation may be formed to meet with Öcalan if necessary, Türkiye reported.
While the planned law would apply to the PKK, government officials said that the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) and Counterterrorism Law (TMK) would remain in force for other terrorist groups.
Civil society demands inclusive process
Meanwhile, a group of 166 civil society organizations, platforms and rights groups released a joint statement on Thursday, calling for the inclusion of civil society in the newly established parliamentary commission. The signatories include prominent organizations such as the Human Rights Association (İHD), the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK), an umbrella organization for left-wing and pro-Kurdish groups, and Unity for Democracy (DİB).
Their statement said that lasting peace and meaningful democratization require broad societal participation, urging parliament to create mechanisms that would allow organized civic groups to take part in the commission’s work. The organizations also called for the commission to function with public legitimacy, gender balance and transparent procedures, stressing that its goals and decisions must be defined democratically.
First meeting scheduled as name debate continues
The state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Friday that the commission’s first meeting has been scheduled for August 5 at 11:00 a.m., according to an official invitation sent by Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş to member deputies.
The 51-member commission will include 21 MPs from the ruling AKP, 10 from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), four each from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and three from the New Path Party, a party established through the merger of the Future Party (GP), the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) and the Islamist opposition Felicity Party (SP).
The Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP), the Labor Party (EMEP), the Free Cause Party (HÜDA PAR), the Democratic Left Party (DSP) and the Islamist New Welfare Party (YRP) will each be represented by one member. The nationalist opposition İYİ (Good) Party and the Democrat Party have not yet appointed representatives, with the latter expected to announce its position following a party meeting on August 4.
The debate over the official name of Turkey’s newly established parliamentary commission for peace efforts also continues, with journalist Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu pointing to the confusion in a post on X.
Acaba ilk günü Komisyon, DEM Parti'nin (@meraldanis) itirazı ile MHP'nin (@YildizFeti) "Kardeşlik ve Dayanışma Komisyonu" öneri itibariyle adı ne olacak tartışmasına mı sahne olacak?
TRT örneğinde iktidar, "Terörsüz Türkiye Komisyonu" adlandırmasını koruyor.
Bu arada Saadet… https://t.co/GBUuyVFccO
— Yıldız Yazıcıoğlu (@journalofyy) August 1, 2025
According to Yazıcıoğlu, while pro-government broadcaster TRT continues to refer to the body as the “Commission for a Terrorism-Free Turkey,” alternative suggestions include the “Brotherhood and Solidarity Commission,” backed by the MHP, and the “Commission for a Livable Turkey,” proposed by SP leader Mahmut Arıkan.
In response, MHP Deputy Chair Feti Yıldız issued a definitive statement on X, saying, “The name of the commission is the National Unity and Solidarity Commission.”
However, no official designation has yet been confirmed, and the discussion over the name is expected to continue into the commission’s first session.