Parliament is anticipated to discuss a draft bill soon for the next stage of the terror-free Türkiye initiative, which began in 2024. The initiative, which aims for full disarmament of the terrorist group PKK, will be reinforced with the new law, which will be temporary in nature and will have a clear definition about the fate of PKK members. The law will also exclude Abdullah Öcalan and other PKK members who were sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, though it may offer leniency to other members of the terrorist group. The law will only be implemented after Turkish authorities confirmed PKK is fully dissolved and has abandoned arms.
The AK Party sources say the law’s rationale was offering its benefits to members of the group only after they dissolve it, and Türkiye is able to confirm this. National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are authorized to confirm the disarmament, but the National Security Council (NSC) will have the final say on the matter. Sources say that the confirmation will be announced only after the disarmament process reaches around 80%.
It is unclear how long the law will remain in force, but a time span of six months to one year is considered. It will definitely exclude Öcalan, who was sentenced to death on June 29, 1999, on charges of treason, before his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Any leniency in prison terms for Öcalan and other PKK members committed to acts of terrorism will be out of question. Those convicted of the grave acts of terrorism and currently abroad at large will also be exempt from leniency.
