As authorities prepare to finalize the report on the terror-free Türkiye initiative, a central message is coming into focus: the goal of the initiative depends on the PKK terrorist group’s complete disarmament before any legal regulations are considered.
The National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Committee’s report will frame disarmament as the essential first step in the process, according to a report from the Turkish newspaper Sabah, citing recent meetings between Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and the committee’s coordinating chairs.
Legal and political arrangements should follow only after the organization fully lays down its arms, Sabah reported.
The report will begin by outlining the rationale for establishing the committee and the inclusive spirit guiding its work, stressing that views from all segments of society were heard. It will also highlight the historical importance of the Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood as a cornerstone of national solidarity.
The terror-free Türkiye initiative was launched by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, a key government ally, in October 2024 and centers on the complete disarmament of the PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union.
The PKK has carried out a violent campaign since 1984 that has killed tens of thousands of people, targeting civilians and security forces under the pretext of establishing a self-styled Kurdish state in southeastern Türkiye. Its attacks have also extended into neighboring Iraq and Syria.
Although disarming the PKK remains politically sensitive, opinion polls indicate broad public support. Critics argue the process undermines justice for victims of terrorism and frames it as a bargaining effort with the PKK. Turkish authorities reject those claims, insisting that no negotiations are taking place.
At its core, the report is based on the Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) approach, focusing on the PKK’s disarmament and the subsequent social integration process. On this sequencing, the AK Party, its ally MHP and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) are described as sharing a common position.
The pro-PKK Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), however, argues that legal regulations should not be delayed until disarmament is completed.
The report proposes legal steps within Türkiye’s criminal law system to facilitate the integration of former PKK members should the organization fully dissolve. It suggests that a special legal framework could be created for a terrorist organization that has laid down its arms.
The PKK’s disarmament, which began in the summer of 2025, will likely conclude by 2026, Sabah wrote last month, although a timetable is not yet certain. The group will evacuate two camps in northern Iraq by the end of February, while remaining hideouts across the Qandil Mountains will be emptied in the spring.
The joint report will exclude proposals such as a “right to hope” or a general amnesty for PKK’s jailed ringleader Abdullah Öcalan or the other terrorists, issues the AK Party considers non-negotiable and incompatible with the objective of a terror-free Türkiye.
The report clarifies that it does not imply the release of convicts and is limited to reviewing incarceration conditions. It further notes that those convicted of terrorism and sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment are not eligible for parole.
A separate section focuses on the YPG, which Ankara considers an extension of the PKK. The report states that the group must adhere to the March 10 agreement it signed with Syria’s post-Assad administration, which calls for its forces to be integrated into the national army.
The YPG controls a self-declared autonomous region in northeastern Syria and has expressed reluctance to fully implement the deal, instead floating decentralization proposals. Turkish officials see full integration as critical to reducing security threats along Türkiye’s southern border.
During the Syrian civil war, Türkiye carried out cross-border operations that pushed YPG forces away from its frontier, curbed attacks on border towns and helped opposition forces regain control of much of northern Syria.
In the post-Assad period, the YPG, which received U.S. backing under the banner of fighting the Daesh terrorist group, seeks to retain control of its so-called “Rojava autonomous administration,” while Damascus aims to rebuild a unified state.
MHP co-Chair Feti Yıldız, earlier this wee,k noted a “great harmony” among parties and said lawmakers would convene next Tuesday or Wednesday to review the joint report, including several items that may be removed or increased.
