Turkish parliament debates conditional amnesty for thousands of PKK fighters

Turkey's legislature began debating a draft law that would grant a conditional pardon to thousands of Kurdish militants as part of a peace push.

The Turkish Grand National Assembly started debating a draft bill that offers a conditional amnesty to thousands of PKK militants, aiming to bolster the government's peace initiative. The legislation outlines procedures for the group's disarmament, though most weapons would remain in place, and sets up ministerial and parliamentary committees to oversee the process. It would suspend certain prison terms and pause investigations for five or ten years, depending on the alleged offense, provided no terror-related crime occurs in that period.

Those convicted of intentional killings or sentenced to life before 2005, such as Abdullah Ocalan and other senior leaders, are excluded. The law would take effect only after the National Security Council verifies the PKK’s disbandment and surrender of arms, after which beneficiaries have six months to submit applications. Expected support comes from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party, its nationalist allies, and the pro-Kurdish DEM party, though the proposal does not address Ocalan’s release.