Ankara, Turkey. A Turkish parliamentary commission voted overwhelmingly to approve a report proposing legal reforms alongside the Kurdistan Workers Party’s (PKK) disarmament, advancing a peace process aimed at ending more than 40 years of conflict.
Commission vote and report objectives
The report was approved by 47 lawmakers in the commission, with two voting against it and one abstention. It sets out core objectives of a “terrorism-free Turkey” and strengthening democracy.
PKK disarmament and political participation
The PKK, designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, halted decades of attacks last year and said it would disarm and disband. It also called on Ankara to take steps enabling its members to participate in politics.
Legislative focus of the peace process
The vote moves the peace process into parliament as President Tayyip Erdogan seeks to end a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people, contributed to domestic discord, and spread violence into Iraq and Syria.
Roadmap for legal changes
The roughly 60-page report proposes a roadmap for parliament to enact laws, including a conditional legal framework urging the judiciary to review legislation and comply with European Court of Human Rights and Constitutional Court rulings. Political parties are cited as agreeing that reforms and disarmament should advance reciprocally and in parallel.
Conditions and oversight measures
The section on legal reforms links implementation to verified PKK disarmament. It envisages a separate and temporary legal framework, a special executive appointment to oversee implementation, and continued judicial scrutiny to avoid perceptions of a general amnesty.
Democratisation proposals
A chapter on democratisation recommends compliance with ECHR and Constitutional Court rulings. It also calls for clearer anti-terrorism law definitions to exclude non-violent acts, and for expanded freedoms of expression, press and assembly.
Background to the commission and conflict
The commission was formed in August 2025 to support a potential new phase in efforts to end the conflict, which has hindered economic development in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast. The PKK insurgency began in 1984 seeking an independent state in the region and has in recent years shifted to seeking greater Kurdish rights and limited autonomy.
What steps, if any, should parliament prioritise as it considers the proposed legal reforms tied to verified PKK disarmament?
