This week is likely to bring new developments in the terror-free Türkiye initiative, which has been underway for the past two years. The Turkish Parliament is expected to begin discussions on a framework law, the next step in the initiative that involves the disarmament and dissolution of the terrorist group PKK.
The law, tied to the confirmation of the PKK's full disarmament, has been in the works for some time after a parliamentary committee wrapped up its work on the process last year. It primarily concerns the status of PKK members, including incarcerated ones, although authorities have repeatedly underlined that it does not amount to a full amnesty for the group's members.
Media outlets reported that the framework law would initiate proceedings for the reassessment of the legal status of imprisoned PKK members, though not all would benefit from early release from prison. Each case involving PKK convicts will be evaluated by the judiciary and the Justice Ministry before a final decision is made regarding their status.
The Sabah newspaper reported on Sunday that authorities were also preparing "return and integration mechanisms" for PKK members abroad, including those in Europe and other continents, as well as those based in northern Iraq, where the PKK's senior leadership is also located.
Security sources speaking to Sabah said the process will be carried out in a controlled manner and within a framework of specific criteria, adding that work is underway on measures aimed at reintegrating individuals into society.
Officials emphasized that before any legal regulations are implemented, a key prerequisite is verification by security forces that the disarmament process has been concretely completed on the ground. The proposed framework law is also expected to provide the legal basis that will be put into effect after the completion of this process.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, two lawmakers from the PKK-aligned Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), along with a lawyer, paid a visit to jailed PKK ringleader Abdullah Öcalan. This was the second visit by the delegation to Öcalan in a month. Öcalan is incarcerated in an island prison between Istanbul and Bursa, and the DEM Party delegation has been a frequent visitor to the prison, relaying his messages to the public.
Also on Sunday, Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the government-allied Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), who was among the first political figures in recent years to advocate for a "terror-free Türkiye," called on all political parties to endorse the new framework law. In remarks published by the Türkgün newspaper, Bahçeli said the issue was "a matter above politics."
"What we need is a social consensus and a vision that is conciliatory rather than confrontational, unifying rather than divisive, and peaceful rather than conflict-driven, along with the determination to carry Türkiye and the Turkish nation into the future together. We are also at a critical juncture in the legislative process. This issue should be regarded as one that rises above politics, and the framework law should receive full support," Bahçeli was quoted as saying.
Proponents of the initiative portray it as a move to cement unity between Turks and Kurds. For decades, the PKK exploited the latter while claiming to fight for a Kurdish state.
"The policy of a terror-free Türkiye is one of the most important pillars of the 'Century of Türkiye' vision," Bahçeli said, referring to a series of ambitious reforms proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the centenary of the Republic of Türkiye that aim to boost the country's international standing and regional influence.
"This policy represents a commitment to democratization and the determination to carry our thousand-year brotherhood into the next thousand years. A terror-free Türkiye is a historic step taken with the resolve to break the chains of the exploitative order imposed by Western powers, and it is a policy from which there can be no turning back. This is an initiative for which we have put ourselves on the line. We will do everything in our power to make it succeed," Bahçeli said.