Parliament is anticipated to discuss a draft bill soon for the next stage of the terror-free Türkiye initiative, which began in 2024. The initiative, which aims for full disarmament of the terrorist group PKK, will be reinforced with the new law, which will be temporary in nature and will have a clear definition about the fate of PKK members. The law will also exclude Abdullah Öcalan and other PKK members who were sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, though it may offer leniency to other members of the terrorist group. The law will only be implemented after Turkish authorities confirmed PKK is fully dissolved and has abandoned arms.

The AK Party sources say the law’s rationale was offering its benefits to members of the group only after they dissolve it, and Türkiye is able to confirm this. National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are authorized to confirm the disarmament, but the National Security Council (NSC) will have the final say on the matter. Sources say that the confirmation will be announced only after the disarmament process reaches around 80%.

It is unclear how long the law will remain in force, but a time span of six months to one year is considered. It will definitely exclude Öcalan, who was sentenced to death on June 29, 1999, on charges of treason, before his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Any leniency in prison terms for Öcalan and other PKK members committed to acts of terrorism will be out of question. Those convicted of the grave acts of terrorism and currently abroad at large will also be exempt from leniency.

The law does not bring amnesty to PKK members, and it will only annul terrorism charges for those imprisoned on charges of PKK membership and those who face prosecution for similar charges. This means an early release from prison for convicts or a significant reduction in their sentences. In most terrorism cases, suspects face a wide variety of charges in addition to charges related to acts defined as terrorism under Turkish laws. For instance, a convict involved in bombing will only be sentenced or serve his/her sentence for manslaughter instead of terrorism. Currently, Türkiye hosts 4,300 people convicted of terrorism in its prisons. The case of each will be re-examined by the courts once the law is implemented.

For PKK members residing abroad and without any criminal record in Türkiye, the country plans to allow their return, but they will be subject to judicial control.

PKK’s senior cadres, who currently hide in Qandil mountains in northern Iraq, will also be exempted from the law, while sources say they already left the hideouts for several other destinations. Sources also say that it is believed that the majority of PKK members would not return to Türkiye even if the law is implemented, and they would prefer settling in Iraq, where they spent years.

On Saturday, Parliamentary Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said the initiative reached to an important stage and "80-90% of the work is done.” Kurtulmuş, who chaired a parliamentary committee on the initiative, said the terrorism would be "off the agenda of Türkiye soon.”

Kurtulmuş told broadcaster CNN Türk that the regime change in neighboring Syria, where the PKK’s wing YPG, has been active throughout the civil war, contributed to the initiative. "It became clear that it is now impossible to threaten Türkiye through Syria,” he said.

He expressed hope that all political parties would act unanimously to pass the law. "If we relax caution and do not act with urgency, I am afraid that provocations will emerge to undermine the process,” he said.