A joint report by the Turkish Parliament’s National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Committee will be further discussed this week at Parliament. The report on the terror-free Türkiye initiative includes legislative proposals for the next steps for the disarmament of the PKK terrorist group.

Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, who also serves as chair of the committee, brought together representatives of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and the New Path Group the previous week to discuss the report. This week, he invited representatives of the New Welfare Party (YRP), the Democratic Left Party (DSP), the Labor Party (EMEP), the Workers’ Party (TIP) and the Free Cause Party (HÜDA-PAR) for discussions. None of the parties have parliamentary group though they contributed to the committee.

The committee is viewed as instrumental in advancing the terror-free Türkiye initiative, which was so far confined to unilateral moves by the PKK. The terrorist group complied with its jailed ringleader Abdullah Öcalan’s call for dissolution last year. It started abandoning weapons and withdrawing from Türkiye in 2025 but fate of its members remain unclear. The committee is expected to tackle this issue through the report, which will serve as a guide for lawmakers for new bills and amendments.

Legislative steps are a tricky issue as authorities strive to clarify that it would not provide impunity to the PKK, which has killed tens of thousands of people in Türkiye since 1980s. Nevertheless, the DEM Party, linked to the PKK, advocates that the terrorist group’s members should benefit from the initiative in exchange for laying down arms.

So-called "return home laws” are expected to be included in the final version of the report, cover sentencing or non-prosecution for members of the PKK involved or not involved in acts of terrorism if they return to Türkiye. The PKK is currently based in northern Iraq, while its wings are active in Syria and Iran as well. A report by the Sabah newspaper says the return of PKK members to Türkiye would be subject to intense scrutiny and even those without a criminal record would be subject to legal proceedings once they return to Türkiye. Those not involved in crimes while working for the PKK will be released with judiciary control after they testify, the newspaper reported.

Efkan Ala, acting chair of the AK Party, says problems may arise in resolving such "a significant problem.” "We have to be careful against provocation. There may be some delays but we have no hesitation in the course of (solution). We resolve every new issue and move forward,” he told Demirören News Agency (DHA) on Sunday.

Ala, a former interior minister, was part of efforts in a similar initiative conducted by the government more than a decade ago. Most recently, he joined President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as he received a delegation from the DEM Party who was tasked with relaying messages of Öcalan from prison to the public and Parliament.

"Important developments are underway and the initiative moves on the right path. This problem will be resolved just the way we desired,” he said.

He stated that they expected the parliamentary report to be made public in the coming days. "We have no issues related to dialogue. A mechanism was set up to resolve any issues related to the initiative. Our citizens should be rest assured,” he said.

The terror-free Türkiye initiative launched by government ally MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli involves full disarmament of the PKK terrorist group. The PKK is responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of people since the 1980s in its campaign of violence, under the pretext of founding a self-styled "Kurdish state” in southeastern Türkiye. Disarming the PKK is a highly divisive issue for Türkiye, although opinion polls show the public supports the initiative. Critics of the plan claim it is a betrayal of victims of PKK terrorism and portray it as a bargaining process with the PKK. Authorities, however, deny that any negotiations for disarmament are out of the question.

In a speech at Parliament earlier this month, Erdoğan stated that the People's Alliance of the AK Party and the MHP worked in solidarity, within the same strategy and tactics, "acting with courage at critical turning points."

He said that the parliamentary report will be approved with "constructive contribution of political parties."

"After the report is released, political institutions will have a greater responsibility. The AK Party will act responsibly in this process, and we will be more constructive, more embracing. We won't avoid taking risks," he said, adding that at the same time, they would not overshadow the memory of martyrs died (in counterterrorism operations).