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Turkey's ruling party proposes bill for peace process with PKK

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency New plan
  • Turkey's ruling party has submitted a bill to parliament to end the conflict with the PKK.
  • The proposed legislation includes provisions for releasing convicted PKK members under certain conditions and halting prosecutions.
  • The bill does not address the fate of PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned for 27 years.

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has introduced a bill in parliament aimed at ending the decades-long conflict with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The proposed legislation, submitted to parliament for debate and a vote in the coming weeks, seeks to establish the legal framework for a peace process.

The bill outlines conditions for the potential release of convicted PKK members and includes provisions to halt criminal prosecutions against them. This move comes after the PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkey and its allies, announced its dissolution in May 2025 following over four decades of armed struggle.

Notably, the draft legislation makes no mention of Abdullah Ocalan, the 77-year-old founder and historical leader of the PKK. Ocalan has been held in a high-security prison on the island of Imrali, off the coast of Istanbul, for the past 27 years. The PKK initiated its bloody campaign in 1984 with the aim of establishing a Kurdish state, but the movement has since adopted a more moderate stance.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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