Turkish lawmakers panel backs peace reforms, but ties legal steps to Kurdish militant disarmament

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish parliamentary committee on Wednesday recommended a series of reforms to advance a new peace initiative with the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, while stressing that legal steps should be tied to state security institutions verifying that the group has surrendered its weapons.

The recommendations, which were overwhelmingly approved by the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, calls for a temporary legal measure to reintegrate PKK members who renounce violence, according to the final draft of a report made available to journalists.

The commission also calls for measures to expand freedom of expression, release elderly or sick prisoners and ensure that non‑violent acts are not prosecuted under anti‑terror laws. It also proposes an end to the practice of appointing government trustees to replace elected mayors from the country’s pro‑Kurdish party.

Designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, the PKK has waged an armed insurgency since 1984 that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, and spilled into neighboring Iraq and Syria.

The group initially sought an independent Kurdish state, but later shifted to demands for autonomy and expanded rights within Turkey.

The commission report says state verification that the PKK has laid down its arms and dissolved itself is “the most critical threshold in the process."

The recommendations stop short of proposing parole for the PKK’s imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan, instead urging compliance with rulings by the European Court of Human Rights and Turkish Constitutional Court on improving detention conditions. Reflecting strong public opposition to leniency toward the PKK, the draft report avoids calling for a blanket amnesty, suggesting instead that fighters’ cases be reviewed individually.

“The report is not an amnesty arrangement,” Parliamentary Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş stressed ahead of the vote, describing the commission’s work as “a clear expression of the determination to build the future together without denying our suffering.”

The recommendations were approved by 47 votes in favor, with two opposing votes and one abstention, Haberturk broadcaster reported.

The commission was formed in August to oversee the peace effort after the PKK, following an appeal by Ocalan, announced in May that it would disarm and disband, ending more than four decades of hostilities. The group later held a symbolic disarmament ceremony in northern Iraq and began withdrawing its remaining fighters from Turkey.

There was no immediate statement from the PKK which has pressed for formal legal guarantees from the government for the process to move forward.

The draft report also recommends broader democratization steps, including a review of media laws to ensure that freedom of expression and the right to legitimate criticism are protected. It proposes that if a mayor is removed from office, the successor be chosen through an internal election by the municipal council instead of being appointed by the government.