Turkey’s parliament approved
Istanbul (dpa) — An overwhelming majority of Turkish lawmakers backed a bill on Monday that could lead to the release of numerous members of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as part of efforts to advance a peace process between the militant group and the Turkish state.
A total of 468 lawmakers voted in favour, while 88 voted against the proposal, which would grant conditional pardon for PKK members, state news agency Anadolu reported.
The measure would only come into effect once security authorities confirm that the PKK and affiliated groups have disbanded and fully disarmed.
Turkey’s parliament approved
The PKK announced its dissolution in May 2025 following a call by its jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan, ending a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.
Since then, some fighters have begun laying down their arms and the group has announced its withdrawal from Turkey to northern Iraq.
The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.
Tens of thousands of people have lost their lives in the conflict between the Kurdish militants and the Turkish state since the 1980s.
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