Türkiye's ruling alliance has submitted draft legislation to parliament aimed at advancing the peace process with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The proposed law includes legal protections for many former militants and suspended prison sentences for some convicted members.
The bill, introduced on Wednesday, is intended to support the implementation of the PKK's decision to disarm and dissolve, marking one of the most significant steps towards ending a conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives since 1984.
If approved, the legislation would facilitate the return of potentially thousands of former PKK members and civilians from northern Iraq to Türkiye.
Under the proposal, Türkiye's National Security Council would verify the PKK's disarmament, while a committee comprising the vice president, cabinet ministers and the head of the National Intelligence Organisation (MİT) would oversee the surrender and disarmament process.
The committee would regularly brief a parliamentary commission on developments.
The draft law would suspend prison sentences for individuals convicted of PKK membership or assisting the group. It would also provide legal protection from prosecution for former militants who were not involved in killings and who return to Türkiye within six months of the law taking effect.
However, senior PKK figures convicted of serious offences, including leading a terrorist organisation or serving aggravated life sentences imposed before 2005, would be excluded from the measures.
That means jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been serving an aggravated life sentence since 1999, would remain in prison despite his call last year for the group to disarm and disband.
The legislation is backed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling AK Party, its nationalist ally MHP and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party. Most opposition parties, including the main opposition party, have also expressed support, making parliamentary approval likely later this week.
"Today we are taking the first step. Hopefully, we will continue all the way through in a positive manner," DEM Party co-chair Tuncer Bakırhan said.
The peace process began in late 2024 but slowed earlier this year amid regional instability linked to the Iran conflict.
The PKK is designated a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the U.S. and the European Union. It launched an armed insurgency in 1984, initially seeking an independent Kurdish state before shifting its focus to greater autonomy and political rights for Kurds within Türkiye.
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