Turkish parliament indicates support for PKK peace bill

Violence between the PKK and the Turkish military has claimed at least 50,000 lives.(AFP) — The Turkish government on Wednesday presented a limited amnesty for PKK Kurdish militants, the first legislative step toward ending decades of deadly fighting.Most members of parliament signed on to the measure, signaling their support ahead of an expected vote in the coming days.The proposed law, however, does not specify what will become of Abdullah Ocalan, the 77-year-old founder and longtime leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, who has spent the past 27 years in solitary confinement on a prison island.Ocalan has backed a peace initiative that began nearly two years ago. In May 2025, the PKK dissolved itself and laid down its arms after four decades of armed conflict aimed at securing greater autonomy for the country’s Kurdish minority.“Today, we are turning a new page in Turkey’s political history,” said Tuncer Bakirhan, co-chair of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party.“It is a milestone for peace, democracy and our shared future,” he added.The bill includes a mechanism to facilitate the return of PKK militants by suspending their prison sentences for up to 10 years.If they commit no repeat offenses during the suspension period, their sentences will be considered served, amounting to a de facto amnesty.However, the amnesty excludes “intentional homicides” and “crimes punishable by life imprisonment committed before June 1, 2005.”A council made up of several ministers and the vice president, along with a parliamentary commission, would oversee implementation of the law.About 360 lawmakers in the 592-seat assembly said they would support the bill, including members of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s AKP, its MHP allies and the DEM Party.The main opposition Yeni Party, however, expressed regret that the text had not been shared with it.The bill must be reviewed by parliament’s Justice Committee before lawmakers vote on it.Under an expedited procedure, the process is expected to be completed by the weekend or early next week.The peace process began in October 2024 at the initiative of Devlet Bahceli, leader of the nationalist MHP and an ally of Erdoğan.The goal is to end the violence between the PKK and the Turkish military, which has claimed at least 50,000 lives.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads