Parliament is preparing to discuss a framework law outlining the road map for the next phase of the terror-free Türkiye initiative. The initiative has been ongoing for the last two years, and its next phase will involve the disarmament and dissolution of the PKK. Therefore, thanks to this law, the country has started to undergo a significant transformation in line with the goal of a terror-free Türkiye.
The law, which is closely tied to the implementation of the PKK’s complete disarmament, has been under consideration by the relevant parliamentary committee. It primarily concerns the status of PKK members, both those in custody and those who live abroad. As officials repeatedly underline that although it does not bring a full amnesty for the members of the group, the law will initiate proceedings for the reassessment of the PKK members.
The law is expected to reduce the sentences of PKK members who surrender to the state authorities. While some imprisoned members will benefit from early release, many of those living abroad, including those in northern Iraq, will benefit from "return and integration mechanisms." Observers expect that this process will be carried out carefully.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş began visiting political parties to hold talks on this framework law to speed up the process. Kurtulmuş on last Tuesday met Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, one of the main proponents of the initiative, the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and the Republican People’s Party (CHP).
Turkish political actors are largely divided into two camps. While one broad political coalition has been working to ensure the success of the initiative, another coalition, composed of various opposition parties, has sought to obstruct efforts to resolve the issue. Proponents of the initiative consider the process a means of strengthening national unity, particularly between Turks and Kurds.
The political camp working to resolve the issue consists of the People’s Alliance parties, namely the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the MHP. The AK Party is spearheading the initiative alongside the executive branch, focusing on security coordination, a concrete legislative road map, and the framework law aimed at the dissolution and disarmament of the PKK.
AK Party leader and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that they want to speed up the process through a legal regulation. President Erdoğan emphasized that they aim to "remove the obstacle of terrorism and prepare Türkiye for the future in an environment of peace, brotherhood, unity and integrity." Furthermore, Erdoğan warned those who try to exploit and obstruct the process.
The MHP, and especially its leader Bahçeli, is calling on all political parties to approve the new framework law. Bahçeli stated that Türkiye needs "a social consensus" and a conciliatory, unifying, peaceful vision to "carry the Turkish nation together into the future." The MHP and Bahçeli consider the issue as "a matter above daily politics." For them, the terror-free Türkiye initiative is a national issue that must be resolved. They stated that they were determined to do everything in their power to ensure its success.
Bahçeli, who repeatedly defined the initiative as a historical step, considers the initiative as "one of the most important pillars of the 'Century of Türkiye' vision." For him, without the success of the initiative, it is impossible for Türkiye to achieve strategic autonomy and increase its regional influence.
The third political party working with the People’s Alliance parties is the DEM Party, which is closely linked to the PKK. The DEM Party has been discussing the process in the party organs, but the party cannot make decisions without consulting the PKK. Therefore, they need to get the approval of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK. Accordingly, the party sends delegations to Öcalan to discuss the future of the process. Over the past month, two different delegations visited Öcalan and conveyed his messages to the public.
It seems that the CHP, which lost its status as the main opposition party, will continue to support the initiative in the parliament. CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu stated that they believe the correct address for resolving the issue is the Parliament. Kılıçdaroğlu, who believes that ending terrorism is a historic opportunity for the country, said he was pleased that the government had finally reached the position they had long advocated.
Kılıçdaroğlu calls this process "crowning the republic with democracy." He said: "Crowning the republic with democracy means bringing these two principles together within a common framework, without placing security above the rule of law or freedom above security. It means removing different social affiliations from being a conflict zone and placing them under common guarantee."
Within this context, Özgür Özel’s New Party (YP), the new main opposition party, may take a different path, opposing both the government and the CHP. In Türkiye, most of the time, opposition parties consider it their duty to oppose everything the government introduces. Due to internal party debates, the YP and Özgür Özel may introduce new conditions.
Finally, some nationalist opposition factions outside or critical of the core consensus express sharp skepticism, attempting to challenge the government on security sensitivities and potential legal adjustments regarding high-profile prisoners. Some small-scale political parties such as the Victory Party of Ümit Özdağ strongly oppose the government’s terror-free Türkiye initiative. Özdağ, who views the process as a compromise with terrorism and a threat to the state’s unitary structure, criticizes the initiative for risking the division of the Turkish nation.
