Turkiye’s parliament opens debate on a pardon-like bill for thousands of PKK militants
ANKARA: Turkiye’s parliament was set to open debate Monday on a draft bill that would introduce a conditional amnesty for thousands of Kurdish militants, offering them a pardon-like mechanism in a bid to advance the government’s peace initiative with their insurgent group.
Last year, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, ended its decades-long armed campaign against the Turkish state, declaring a decision to disarm and disband as part of the peace effort. The move came in response to a call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan.
The PKK then staged a symbolic disarmament ceremony in northern Iraq, where it is based, and announced that it was withdrawing fighters from key locations in Turkiye to Iraq.
The 12-article draft legislation outlines the procedures for the disarmament of the group — which still retains the bulk of its weapons — and the rehabilitation of thousands of PKK members.
