Turkiye approves pardon-like bill for thousands of PKK fighters

Turkey's parliament has passed a landmark bill offering a conditional pardon to thousands of fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), marking a significant legislative effort to de-escalate the long-running conflict. The legislation, approved with a vote of 468 in favor and 88 against, allows for some PKK members who surrender their weapons to transition back to civilian life.

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The text envisages a return to civilian life for some of the PKK fighters who lay down their weapons.

This move does not constitute a general amnesty but rather a suspension of prosecutions and prison sentences for certain offenses, typically ranging from five to ten years. The bill is a crucial step following Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK's imprisoned founder, urging his followers to disarm 18 months prior. The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, began its insurgency in 1984.

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The text – which passed on Monday with a vote of 468 in favour and 88 against, with six abstentions – envisages a return to civilian life for some of the PKK fighters who lay down their weapons without granting a total amnesty.

The conflict has resulted in over 40,000 deaths, imposed a substantial economic burden on southeastern Turkey, and fueled decades of political and social division. The legislation received backing from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party.

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The law is Turkiye‘s first legislative step towards ending the conflict and comes 18 months after Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK’s jailed founder, urged his followers to disarm.

Initial estimates suggest the bill could lead to the release of around 3,500 PKK-affiliated detainees currently held in Turkish prisons, representing about one-third of the total incarcerated. This legislative action represents Turkey's first major legal initiative aimed at ending the protracted conflict and addressing its deep societal impacts.

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The move is expected to involve the release of around 3,500 PKK-linked detainees in an initial phase, lawmakers said – around a third of the number held in Turkish prisons.