Turkey has passed a law to provide a legal framework for the peace process with the Kurds
Kyiv • UNN
On August 10, the Turkish parliament passed a law creating a legal basis for the dissolution of the PKK and the reintegration of its members. The document was supported by 468 lawmakers and provides legal protection for former militants.
On August 10, Turkey’s parliament passed a law creating a legal framework for the dissolution of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the reintegration of its former members. Reuters reports, UNN writes.
Details
The law was supported by 468 of the 600 lawmakers. It provides legal protection for former militants who have not committed specific crimes and may also allow sentences to be suspended for some people convicted of membership in the PKK.
The decision became Ankara’s most concrete step within the peace process since imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan called on the organization to disarm and dissolve in February 2025. In May, the PKK announced the cessation of its armed struggle and its disbandment, and two months later its militants symbolically burned their weapons in northern Iraq.
Background to the peace process
The PKK, which Turkey, the United States, and the EU have designated as a terrorist organization, launched an armed uprising in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since then.
The peace process publicly began in October 2024 after an unexpected proposal by Devlet Bahçeli, leader of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party, to allow Öcalan to address parliament and announce the dissolution of the PKK.
A parliamentary commission established in August 2025 subsequently heard from politicians, officials, and civil society representatives and recommended legislative changes to disarm and reintegrate PKK members.
At the same time, the new law does not address the Kurds’ broader demands for expanded political and cultural rights, changes to counterterrorism legislation, or the status of Öcalan, who has been imprisoned on İmralı Island since 1999.
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