Turkish Parliament Passes Landmark Law to Advance Peace Process

Middle East Online

A previous session of the Turkish Parliament.

Türkiye's parliament passed a law on Monday establishing a legal framework for the disbandment of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a major step toward ending a decades-old conflict that has killed tens of thousands.

The legislation provides legal ‌protections for many former militants who have not committed specific crimes and facilitates the suspension of prison sentences for some people convicted of PKK membership, paving the way for their reintegration into society.

The law was approved by 468 votes in the 600-seat parliament after securing support from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling AK Party, its nationalist MHP allies and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party.

The measure is ⁠the most concrete step taken by Ankara in the process since jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan called on the group in February 2025 to disarm and disband. The PKK announced in May 2025 that it would end its armed struggle and break up, with and a group of militants symbolically burned their weapons at a ceremony in northern Iraq two months later.

The PKK conflict with the Turkish state has killed more than 40,000 people.

The legislation is intended to address one of the central questions hanging over the peace process: what will happen to thousands of PKK members as the group dismantles its military and organisational structures.

The process began publicly in October 2024 when MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, long known for his hardline ⁠stance against Kurdish militancy, unexpectedly suggested Öcalan could address parliament and announce the PKK's dissolution.

A parliamentary commission established in August 2025 subsequently heard politicians, officials, civil society groups and others before recommending legislation to manage ⁠the disarmament and reintegration process.



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