Ankara, Turkey – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed a new law granting conditional amnesty to thousands of Kurdish fighters. This move is part of a historic step aimed at achieving lasting peace with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The law was officially published in the Official Gazette on Tuesday. It represents a new phase in the political and security settlement process led by the Turkish government to end decades of bloody conflict.
However, lawmakers stipulated a key condition for the law to take effect: official confirmation from the Turkish National Security Council that the party has completely dissolved itself. The party must also permanently disarm, ensuring both sides adhere to the agreed-upon terms to guarantee the country’s stability.
Details of the pardon conditions and suspension of court sentences
This development comes after the Turkish parliament overwhelmingly passed the bill last week. The legislation suspends prison sentences for convicted members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Additionally, the law postpones ongoing investigations and trials of others for periods ranging from five to ten years, depending on the severity of the alleged crime.
The law also includes a provision for the final dismissal of all charges against these individuals if they refrain from committing any new crimes during the specified periods. To ensure proper implementation, a special committee will be formed to oversee the disarmament process of the party. This committee is expected to hold its first meeting next week to monitor the practical steps being taken on the ground.
The party was dissolved, and prominent leaders were excluded from the settlement.
It is worth noting that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey and its Western allies classify as a terrorist organization, announced its historic decision last year to dissolve itself in response to a direct call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan. Although the amnesty included a broad range of fighters, the legal texts explicitly excluded Öcalan and several other senior party leaders from benefiting from these measures.
Following the announcement of the dissolution, some fighters laid down their weapons in a symbolic ceremony held in northern Iraq, where the party is based. They also withdrew their fighters from key positions inside Turkey to deeper into Iraq. The long-running conflict between the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties since the 1980s.
