Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş was at the forefront of efforts to facilitate parliamentary debate on the terror-free Türkiye initiative from the time it began two years ago. The culmination of the legislative work to advance the process, which seeks the full disbandment of the terrorist group PKK, was a relief for the veteran politician. In remarks on Wednesday, Kurtulmuş highlighted the fact that the initiative had received broad public support, as indicated by Tuesday’s vote in Parliament.
Kurtulmuş was not authorized to cast a vote due to his duties as parliament speaker, but 467 lawmakers from across the political spectrum voted in favor of the Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion after lengthy deliberations. The law primarily provides for the deferral of prosecution and sentencing for PKK members who have not been involved in acts of terrorism. It was presented to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday. After Erdoğan's approval, it is expected to be published in the Official Gazette, but only after the PKK's dissolution is officially confirmed by the National Security Council chaired by Erdoğan.
In an interview at Anadolu Agency’s (AA) Editors’ Desk, Kurtulmuş said the law’s approval reflected the fact that a majority of the nation supported the initiative politically. “We tried to build a balance so that the majority would accept it, including the families of our martyrs and veterans,” he said. Opponents of the initiative, mostly far-right groups, claimed that the initiative amounted to concessions to the PKK, which has killed tens of thousands of people in attacks since the 1980s. Authorities deny that any concessions have been made, and the law stipulates that deferrals will only be approved after the PKK’s disarmament has been verified.
