Efkan Ala, deputy chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said on Thursday that the terror-free Türkiye initiative for disarmament of the terrorist group PKK may be affected by the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran war. However, he reaffirmed that the process would be completed anyway.
Ala, a former interior minister who played an active role during the past “reconciliation process” to end the PKK threat, spoke to broadcaster NTV about the initiative launched by government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in 2024.
He pointed out that the region was embroiled in an unstable situation and that a terror-free Türkiye was important to maintain the country’s unity among such uncertainties. The government views the initiative as a step to strengthen Turkish-Kurdish unity. For decades, the PKK exploited the Kurdish community in the region, under the pretext of fighting for a so-called Kurdistan in the southeastern Türkiye. During the ongoing war, the U.S. floated the idea of recruiting Kurds in the region to battle the Iranian regime, before scrapping the idea.
Ala said the initiative would be completed within the framework they envisioned and urged the public to heed the official statements rather than rumors. He underlined that the initiative had political and social support. “The timeframe and other aspects require work, and any regulation on the matter will be carried out by jurists. Once the group completes disarmament, laws will be enacted,” he said.
The initiative, so far, proceeded with the PKK’s announcement that it started laying down arms, but the terrorist group anticipates the removal of counterterrorism laws in place in Türkiye for full dissolution, as statements of the group’s senior members indicate. A parliamentary committee exclusively set up for the initiative recently wrapped up a report including recommendations for Parliament. Parliament, in the coming days, will start working on drafting bills or amending existing ones for lenient sentences for surrendered PKK members and other steps.
In a related development, the pro-PKK Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) announced on Thursday that a delegation from the party would visit the PKK’s jailed ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, on Friday. DEM Party spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan told a news conference that it was an important meeting as the delegation would consult with Öcalan on the legal aspects of the initiative.
