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 468 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.
Kurtulmuş said that Türkiye is going through one of the most important processes in its history with the initiative, recalling that terrorism had shackled Türkiye for half of the first century of the Republic, leading to the deaths of soldiers and civilians and the squandering of significant financial resources. Kurtulmuş noted that efforts had been made to foment hostility between Turks and Kurds and to divide and fragment Türkiye, adding that the country had paid a heavy price throughout the process.
Describing the steps taken as part of the initiative, Kurtulmuş said Türkiye had reached in one year a point that other countries had taken eight or nine years, or even longer, to reach.
He recalled that the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, established in Parliament as part of the initiative, held its first meeting on Aug. 5, 2025.
Kurtulmuş, who was the chairperson of the commission, said all political parties were represented on it and that representatives of different segments of society had been heard during its 21 meetings. He emphasized that everyone was able to express their views and suggestions freely during the commission’s meetings, without any restrictions, and noted that no one spoke against those who addressed the commission afterward, describing this as an exceptionally high example of democracy. Recalling that the commission’s report was prepared with the consensus of the parties on Feb. 18, Kurtulmuş said the report was among the important documents produced during the process.
He said the commission had been one of the most effective and democratic instruments in the process, adding: “During the drafting of the law, we paid attention to the following: We had a report, which served as a guideline for preparing the draft law, that was unanimously adopted. Forty-seven people voted for it, and all parties supported the report. We said that the law to be drafted would establish the legal framework for managing the process that would emerge with the PKK disbanding itself and laying down its arms, as outlined in the sixth section of the report. The law adopted in Parliament with the votes of (468) of our 600 members of Parliament is also in line with the general framework agreed upon in the sixth section of the report. This figure reflects in politics the overwhelming majority of the nation’s support for terror-free Türkiye. There may be different views within the political parties, but the figure of (468), which was well above even our expectations, is a number rarely seen or achieved. This is very important. I believe it should be understood as a reflection in politics of the support expressed by the people.”
Kurtulmuş said all segments of Turkish society had had enough of terrorism, adding that festivals were now being held in the Gabar and Cudi mountains in southeastern Türkiye, a region that was plagued by PKK terrorism for years. He said these were areas that no one had previously been able to enter and that no one had been injured there for two years. He said investment opportunities in the region had improved as conditions became more peaceful, adding, “Society as a whole has embraced this atmosphere of peace and tranquility. This is its reflection in politics.”
He emphasized that they had taken certain sensitivities into consideration throughout the process, noting that it was important to be able to take actions and make decisions that would be accepted by the collective conscience of society. He stressed the importance of acting in a way that would never hurt the feelings of the families of fallen soldiers, veterans, or the people who had strongly supported the fight against terrorism, adding that they had taken this into account from the outset, both in the commission’s work and in the drafting of the legislation.
