EditTurkish parliament passes landmark law to advance PKK peace process
For the government the initiative is part of its goal of creating a "terror-free Turkey", while Kurdish politicians have said lasting peace will require broader reforms
Turkey’s parliament passed a law on Monday establishing a legal framework for the disbandment of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a major step toward ending a decades-old conflict that has killed tens of thousands.
The legislation provides legal protections for many former militants who have not committed specific crimes and facilitates the suspension of prison sentences for some people convicted of PKK membership, paving the way for their reintegration into society.
The law was approved by 468 votes in the 600-seat parliament after securing support from President Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling AK Party, its nationalist MHP allies and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party.
HISTORY in Turkey:
Turkish Parliament approves a law to partially pardon former PKK members as part of peace talk with the group
468 out of 600 MPs vote the support the law.
A broad support from the opposition as well as the ruling parties@Emrah_zcnn pic.twitter.com/01Lbd6Xfmf
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) August 10, 2026
The measure is the most concrete step taken by Ankara in the process since jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan called on the group in February 2025 to disarm and disband. The PKK announced in May 2025 that it would end its armed struggle and break up, with and a group of militants symbolically burned their weapons at a ceremony in northern Iraq two months later.
The PKK, designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and European Union, launched its insurgency in 1984. The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, imposed a heavy economic burden on mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey and fuelled decades of political and social division.
The legislation is intended to address one of the central questions hanging over the peace process: what will happen to thousands of PKK members as the group dismantles its military and organisational structures.
The process began publicly in October 2024 when MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, long known for his hardline stance against Kurdish militancy, unexpectedly suggested Öcalan could address parliament and announce the PKK’s dissolution.
A parliamentary commission established in August 2025 subsequently heard politicians, officials, civil society groups and others before recommending legislation to manage the disarmament and reintegration process.
Turkish lawmakers from multiple parties sign draft bill on PKK disarmament process
The law does not by itself resolve broader Kurdish demands for expanded political and cultural rights, changes to anti-terrorism legislation or the status of Öcalan, who has been imprisoned on İmralı island since 1999.
The government has described the initiative as part of its goal of creating a “terror-free Turkey”, while Kurdish politicians have said lasting peace will require broader democratic and legal reforms.
Kurdish PKK militants burn weapons in Iraq, signalling disarmament
With Reuters
Caption: The Turkish Parliament approved on 10 August 2026 a law to partially pardon former PKK members as part of peace talk with the group [@ragipsoylu on X]
Updated: August 11, 2026 - 06:14
