Tag: PKK

“Framework Law” passed by parliament

12 August 202611 August 2026

The bill, which aims to bring a 50-year conflict to a legal conclusion, sparked heated debates in the General Assembly of the Parliament. Following the vote, the bill was passed and became law.

Known to the public as the “Framework Law,” the “Draft Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration”—which regulates the PKK’s disarmament and the legal status of PKK members—was passed by Parliament following a vote and became law. In the vote, which was conducted via electronic voting, 562 members of parliament cast their votes, with 468 voting in favor, 88 against, and 6 abstaining. Thus, the “Draft Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration” passed the General Assembly of the Parliament and became law.

The General Assembly adjourned following the vote.

Debates on the legislation, known to the public as the “Framework Law,” began at 11:00 a.m.

In the General Assembly, the deputy group leaders of the various parties made statements regarding the bill. Bülent Kaya spoke on behalf of Yeni Yol, Turhan Çömez on behalf of the İYİ Party, Rahmi Aşkın Türeli on behalf of the CHP, Erkan Akçay on behalf of the MHP, Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit on behalf of the DEM Party, Murat Emir on behalf of the Yeni Party, and Abdulhamit Gül on behalf of the AKP.

The 12-article bill is expected to establish the legal framework for the new resolution process.

The “Draft Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration”—known to the public as the “Framework Law”—which regulates the PKK’s disarmament and the legal status of PKK members, was adopted by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Plenary following intense debates, and deliberations on its articles have begun.

“Framework Law” to consist of 12 articles

In an electronic vote held in the General Assembly, the decision to proceed with the bill’s articles passed with 269 “Yes” votes against 28 “No” votes. While the ruling coalition (AKP and MHP) described the bill as “a historic state policy for a Turkey free of terrorism,” the İYİ Party strongly opposed it. The YENİ Party and the CHP, which announced they would vote “Yes” on the bill, noted that the process must be supported by steps toward democratization and justice. Thirty-three members of the YENİ Party parliamentary group declared they would vote “No.”

YENİ Party MPs who announced they will vote “No”

1. İzzet Akbulut

2. Hasan Öztürk

3. Sibel Suiçmez

4 Cemal Enginyurt

5 Süreyya Öneş Derici

6 Deniz Yavuzyılmaz

7 İbrahim Aslan

8 Hikmet Yalım Halıcı

9 Cumhur Uzun

10 Eylem Ertuğ Eryılmaz

11 Murat Çan

12 Servet Mullaoğlu

13 Salih Uzun

14 Uğur Bayraktutan

15 Şeref Arpacı

16 Murat Bakan

17 Seyit Torun

18 Mahmut Tanal

19 Fethi Açıkel

20 Elvan Işık Gezmiş

21 Melih Meriç

22 İsmail Atakan Ünver

23 Mehmet Tahtasız

24 Ümit Özlale

25 Mustafa Erdem

26 Ayşe Sibel Yanıkömeroğlu

27 Reşat Karagöz

28 Ayhan Barut

29 Barış Karadeniz

30 Fahri Özkan

31 Deniz Yücel

32 Seda Kaya Ösen

33 Ednan Arslan

Ekrem İmamoğlu, the detained Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor, issued a statement through his lawyers regarding the “framework law.” Noting that Turkey is at “one of the most significant turning points in its history,” İmamoğlu said that peace, tranquility, brotherhood, democracy, and the rule of law must be strengthened.

Imamoğlu expressed his support for the decision made by Özgür Özel, Chairman of the New Party, during this process. Stating that he believes in “the new political path he has opened, his great struggle, and his leadership,” Imamoğlu said he supports “the exceptional resolve he has demonstrated through all his warnings.”

Imamoğlu said, “I stand behind the decision he made today.”

The DEM Party, meanwhile, described the law as “the first step toward resolving the conflict.”

Ş. Can Atalay, the elected MP for Hatay, sent a message from Silivri Prison emphasizing the importance of a nonviolent political environment, while Tunç Soyer noted that the law is a key to “ending the era of blood and tears.”

Chronology of the Day

11:37 – 13:55

Pre-Session and Lobby Traffic

Devlet Bahçeli, Chairman of the MHP who initiated the process, arrived at Parliament. In the lobby, DEM Party Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, alongside Imralı Delegation members Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, approached Bahçeli and shook hands. Prior to this, AKP and CHP Group Chairmen also greeted Bahçeli.

11:58 – 14:01

Initial Statements by Group Deputy Chairmen and İYİ Party’s Motion

Taking the floor at the beginning of the session, AKP Group Deputy Chairman Abdulhamit Gül defined the process as the “spirit of Gallipoli,” while Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit from the DEM Party stated, “The winner of peace will be 86 million people.” Representatives from CHP, YENİ Party, and Yeni Yol emphasized that laying down arms alone would not suffice without democratization. The İYİ Party submitted a group motion to prevent the start of deliberations on the grounds that the bill was unconstitutional. The motion, presented by İYİ Party’s Turhan Çömez with harsh criticism stating “You chose the day the Treaty of Sèvres was signed (August 10) to deliberate this bill that will pardon terrorists,” was rejected upon voting.

14:06

İYİ Party’s Fierce Opposition: ‘It Is a Major Uprising’

İYİ Party Chairman Müsavat Dervişoğlu was the figure who delivered the harshest reaction to the process from the podium. Arguing that the law aims to integrate PKK leaders into politics, Dervişoğlu confirmed they would vote ‘No’, stating: “No matter what anyone calls this process, it is a major uprising against our national identity and republic. Who marketed Öcalan as an acceptable political guru?”

15:56

DEM Party: ‘This Law Is Not a Concession, the Homeland Is Shared’

DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan stated that the bill is the “first step in conflict resolution,” adding: “This bill is not a concession; it is neither victory nor defeat. We are not opening the integrity of the country to debate. If the Kurds wanted to secede, we would not be here. The homeland is shared.” Bakırhan noted that although the law has shortcomings, they support it, and the real step must be taken through democratization when Parliament opens.

16:07 – 16:38

YENİ Party and CHP: ‘We Will Not Stand in the Way of Peace’

YENİ Party Chairman Özgür Özel criticized the process being conducted behind closed doors and the lack of democratic steps such as trustee appointments and ECtHR rulings. However, he stated, “We will not close the door opened for laying down arms; we will vote ‘Yes’.” Özel granted his MPs a free vote based on the sensitivities of their provinces. Speaking on behalf of the CHP, İnan Alp Akgün and Oğuz Kaan Salıcı also confirmed that the CHP would vote ‘Yes’, saying, “The time has come to secure the Republic through democracy.”

18:01 – 18:03

Ruling Bloc (MHP, AKP): ‘This Is Not an Amnesty’

MHP Deputy Chairman Feti Yıldız emphasized that the bill is not an amnesty and does not alter ongoing investigations or the nature of offenses. He stated, “The goal of the process is the rule of law and the strengthening of the internal front.” AKP Group Chairman Abdullah Güler shared that the prepared report was drafted “without a third-party external observer, by the children of this land,” and that the sole objective is to ensure violence is never discussed again.

What had happened?

The bill had been debated for 18 hours in the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s Justice Committee.

The bill bears the signatures of 367 members of parliament, including representatives from the AKP, CHP, MHP, DEM Party, HÜDA PAR, the New Path Group, and the DSP.

During the discussions, which were not without controversy, the AKP and MHP argued that the bill was the “product of a historic consensus” and did not constitute an “amnesty.”

The CHP and the New Party, however, emphasized that the process lacked a democratic dimension. The New Path Group, meanwhile, stated that the measure constituted a “conditional general amnesty.”

Seat distribution in Parliament

AKP 277, New Party 91, DEM Party 56, MHP 46, CHP 45, Good Party 29, New Path Party 20, HÜDA PAR 4, Prosperity Party 4, TİP 3, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) 2, EMEP 2, Felicity Party, Democratic Left Party, and Democratic Party each hold 1 seat. Ten members of Parliament are independents.

Parliament Scoreboard: Framework Law Vote

nihaplus Special Infographic Desk • Detailed Breakdown by Party and MP

“IN FAVOR” (Yes)

AKP268

DEM Party55

MHP44

YENİ Party35

CHP29

Yeni Yol Group16

Independents7

HÜDA PAR4

TİP3

DBP2

EMEP2

DSP1

Felicity Party1

“AGAINST” (No)

YENİ Party54

İYİ Party29

CHP2

Independents1

Democrat Party1

ABSTAIN

New Welfare Party4

Yeni Yol Group3

DID NOT VOTE

CHP14

AKP9

YENİ Party2

MHP2

Independents2

DEM Party1

Yeni Yol Group1

“Framework Law” to consist of 12 articles

7 August 20265 August 2026

The articles of the “framework law” prepared within the scope of the Peace and Democratic Society Process have been announced. In the proposal expected to be passed into law within a week, it was observed that Abdullah Öcalan and those who received life or aggravated life sentences before 2005 were excluded from the scope.

The articles included in the draft “framework law,” expected to be submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) under the Peace and Democratic Society Process, were disclosed. The regulations of the bill titled “Law on the Strengthening of National Solidarity and Social Integration” were announced in a joint press conference held by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its nationalist ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

AKP Group Chairman Abdullah Güler, AKP Deputy Chairman Abdülhamit Gül, and MHP Vice President Feti Yıldız also attended the press conference held at the Parliament. Güler announced the articles of the bill titled “Law on the Strengthening of National Solidarity and Social Integration” submitted to the Speaker’s Office of the Parliament. Stating that the “Strengthening of National Solidarity and Social Integration” bill consists of 12 articles, including the execution and enforcement articles, Güler said: “Necessary regulations will be made as needed. Furthermore, interviews will be held in İmralı with individuals such as academics and journalists, subject to a certain discipline and procedure.”

According to the articles in the proposal, those who received aggravated life sentences before 2005 or crimes leading to an aggravated life sentence obligation will be kept outside the scope of the law. In this context, the fact that Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is the interlocutor of the process, was not included in the framework law sparked public reaction.

Kartal: “The current arrangement is not an appropriate decision”

Speaking to Mesopotamia Agency, Kurdistan People’s Congress (KONGRA-GEL) Co-Chair Remzi Kartal recalled Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli’s rhetoric on the “right to hope,” saying: “If Leader Apo is not effective in this process, if he does not personally make a direct call, this process will not progress. The primary metric in the state’s approach to the Kurdish issue—for both the Freedom Movement and the people—is the state’s approach to Leader Apo. Leader Apo’s status, living conditions, and working conditions are the decisive metrics. If there is no reassuring development on this matter, and if familiar security policies are still being based upon, this situation will not build trust either in the Freedom Movement or among the people.”

In his evaluations regarding the process this morning to Sinan Burhan, Editor-in-Chief of Millet News Agency, MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli stated that the “right to hope” should be granted to Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan:

“Selahattin Demirtaş should return to his home, Ahmets to their duties, and Öcalan to the ‘right to hope.’ Turkey must find peace. Our goal is for Turkey and the region to attain peace.”

Kartal continued his remarks as follows:

“It may be handled this way at the initial stage by taking public sensitivities into account. However, this must definitely be resolved through other laws to be enacted and other steps to be taken in the coming period. The authorized bodies of the state and the Parliament need to be very clear on this matter. As the people and the movement, this is how we view it. Because if there is truly no development on this issue, returns to Turkey and participation in the legal-democratic process may face serious problems. Therefore, we do not view the current arrangement as an appropriate decision.”

The draft “framework law,” submitted to the Speaker’s Office of the Parliament and shared with the public, is expected to become law within a week.

CHP and HÜDAPAR also signed

AKP, MHP, DEM Party, HÜDA-PAR, and CHP signed the proposal expected to become law within a week. The bill will come before the Parliamentary Justice Commission on Friday, August 7, and discussions will begin. If accepted in the commission, the proposal will begin to be debated in the General Assembly of the Parliament.

“This law is a first step”

Following the signing meeting held in the DEM Party Parliament group room, DEM Party Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan held a press conference. Speaking first, Bakırhan said: “We had criticisms regarding the law. The law had shortcomings. Despite all this, we will grow this first step and socialize it. We will try to take it to the 86 million. In addition, we will defend and support to the end every democratic step, word, practice, and action that prevents the reproduction of conflict, primarily in the Parliament.”

Speaking after Bakırhan, Tülay Hatimoğulları stated that as DEM Party, they wanted this law to have the nature of a “core law”, adding: “The Kurdish issue is not a terrorism issue. We have always underlined this. The Kurdish issue is an economic issue. It is a social, political, and societal issue. Therefore, by handling this issue and this matter in this way, we consider this stage important in terms of the emergence of new laws that will pave the way for democratization while negotiation and dialogue continue in the upcoming process.”

PKK’s weapons-burning ceremony: Who said what that day?

11 July 2026

A full year has passed since the historic weapons-burning ceremony held on July 11, 2025 at Casene Cave in Sulaymaniyah, attended by 30 PKK members, which symbolically ended nearly 50 years of armed struggle. We have compiled the behind-the-scenes story of that iconic moment—launched at Abdullah Öcalan’s call and hailed by MHP Leader Devlet Bahçeli as “of extraordinary importance”—along with the testimonies of those who witnessed the ceremony and all the political reverberations of the process up to today.

“The PKK’s founding leadership has kept its word and recognized global and regional threats in time. Days of extraordinary importance are being experienced for Turkey and the region.”

These words belong to MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, who made this statement immediately after PKK guerrillas, who had dissolved themselves, burned their weapons in a symbolic ceremony on July 11, 2025 at Casene Cave, located within the borders of the city of Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The weapons-burning ceremony, which produced iconic images of 30 PKK guerrillas, together with the assessments made by both Bahçeli and President Erdoğan, as well as the ceremony’s international repercussions, led to the formation of expectations regarding the advancement of the process following the ceremony.

At the call of PKK founding leader Abdullah Öcalan, at the “weapons-laying-down” ceremony held in Sulaymaniyah, under the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, a total of 30 guerrillas—15 women and 15 men, including KCK Executive Council Co-Chair Besê Hozat—burned and destroyed their weapons.

With this step, the PKK demonstrated that it had ended its roughly 50-year armed struggle through a symbolic weapons-laying-down ceremony.

Around 150 people attended the ceremony, including politicians, intellectuals, rights defenders, and journalists. The delegation included DEM Party Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, DBP Co-Chairs Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar and Keskin Bayındır, ÖHD Co-Chairs Ekin Yeter and Serhat Çakmak, members of the Peace Mothers Assembly, and DEM Party MPs.

While the delegation was taken to the site where the weapons-laying-down ceremony would take place, around 200 journalists watched the ceremony on a screen set up in the Dukan district of Sulaymaniyah.

The PKK guerrillas, who called themselves the “Peace and Democratic Society Group,” issued a statement saying: “From now on, in order to carry forward our struggle for freedom, democracy and socialism through democratic politics and legal means, and on the basis of the enactment of democratic integration laws, we are destroying our weapons of our own free will.”

The same statement also included the following: “As a step of goodwill and determination for the practical success of the Peace and Democratic Society process, and in order to carry forward our struggle for freedom, democracy and socialism from now on through democratic politics and legal means, and on the basis of the enactment of democratic integration laws, we are destroying our weapons of our own free will in your presence. We hope that this step we have taken will be auspicious for our entire people—women and youth above all—for the peoples of Turkey and the Middle East, and for all of humanity, and that it will bring peace and freedom.”

Niha+ Special Assessment

Ruken Ay Adın

DEMOS Research Collective

“The Peace and Democratic Society Group took the most important step in the peace process, announced to have begun in October 2024: in a ceremony carried out by thirty guerrillas, fifteen of them women, they demonstrated—before more than one hundred fifty people—that they were giving up their weapons and their determination to continue their struggle through democratic politics. One of the institutions taking part was DEMOS, and I was there.”

“I still find myself looking at length at the photographs from that day; each time, I feel anew how priceless, how important a moment it was for everyone present, everyone working for peace, everyone who wants peace.”

“Today marks the first anniversary of that ceremony, of that decision. And as we hand this year over, neither those who burned their weapons at the ceremony are among us, nor have the conditions demanded for them to be able to be among us been met. I say this not from a place of pessimism or impatience, but because it points to the process’s lack of transparency.”

“The disarmament ceremony in Sulaymaniyah was not an isolated event; it was the outcome of a series of thresholds spanning months. At its 12th Congress, held on May 5-7, 2025, the PKK had announced that it was dissolving its organizational structure and ending its method of armed struggle. The weapons-burning ceremony on July 11 was the first concrete expression of that decision on the ground. In October, the PKK carried the process a step further by announcing the withdrawal of all its forces from Turkey.”

“A parallel institutionalization took place on the state side as well: on August 5, 2025, the National Solidarity, Fraternity and Democracy Commission was established within the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The Commission held a total of 21 meetings up to February 18, 2026; heard from 137 individuals and institutions; and shared its final report, adopted by qualified majority, with the public in February. This constitutes the official record of the process.”

“There is a concrete and undeniable gain on the ground: deaths resulting from armed conflict have come to a near-total halt. For a society that has lived through the cost of a conflict spanning decades, this is a threshold that cannot be dismissed.”

“We will certainly go on counting the years since the ceremony, but for this first anniversary, here is what I put on the table: Lasting peace is not merely a matter of confirmation bound to the calendar of the security bureaucracy; it is a matter of social peace, one that extends beyond the security-focused framework and includes all segments of society. In the second year, we will continue to insist on this.”

Reactions to the ceremony

Following the ceremony, Turkish state and government officials as well as Kurdish officials made statements on the significance of the step taken. Pervin Buldan, a member of DEM Party’s İmralı delegation and Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, called President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by phone after the ceremony to thank him. Buldan thanked Erdoğan and MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli for their contributions to the process and expressed satisfaction that the process was continuing with the burning of the weapons.

That same day, Erdoğan also held a phone call with MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli. Bahçeli expressed to Erdoğan his satisfaction that a group of PKK members had destroyed their weapons.

In a post on social media, President Erdoğan said: “I hope that the important step taken today on the path toward our goal of a Turkey free of terrorism will lead to good outcomes. On this path we are walking for the security of our country, the peace of our nation, and the establishment of lasting peace in our region, may Almighty God grant us the achievement of our goals.”

According to information obtained by ANKA News Agency, MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli also called Buldan by phone to congratulate her. In a statement to ANKA News Agency, Buldan said Bahçeli told her regarding today’s weapons-laying-down ceremony: “Both your effort and your contribution are considerable, so I wanted to thank you. And I also say, ‘may it be auspicious.'”

Who said what about the historic step?

The Government Front

“I hope that the important step taken today on the path toward our goal of a Turkey free of terrorism will lead to good outcomes.”

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan President

“These positive developments, which bring solace to hearts, are a turning point… The bad memories will be left behind, and the architect of the new century will be the Turkish nation.”

Devlet Bahçeli MHP Chairman

Kurdish Politics

“While the world moves toward armament and the Middle East lives through war, we are burning our weapons. We want to free the peoples from weapons.”

Cemil Bayık KCK Executive Council Co-Chair

“The peoples will be the winners. Equality, democracy and peace will be the winners. We will defend this process with dignity, patience and persistence.”

Tuncer Bakırhan DEM Party Co-Chair

Opposition and Regional Reverberations

“We hope that this step will be the beginning of an era in which weapons fall silent for good. The process must be managed under the roof of Parliament.”

Özgür Özel CHP Chairman

“Now is the time to heal the wounds and open a new page based on peace and coexistence in North Kurdistan and Turkey.”

Bafel Talabani PUK Leader

Other Statements on the Process, in Brief

Numan Kurtulmuş – Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly

“The process is proceeding as planned. Everything is proceeding in good faith. I invite everyone to support the process.”

Selahattin Demirtaş – Former HDP Co-Chair (Post shared from his account, featuring a photo of Sırrı Süreyya Önder)

“‘There is no losing side in peace,’ our dear Sırrı Süreyya used to say. Yes, today we have reaped the first fruit of the efforts into which you too poured your heart. There was no losing side, and there will be none.”

Hakan Fidan – Minister of Foreign Affairs

“A very important and gratifying step has been taken toward the goal of a Turkey free of terrorism. We will remain vigilant until the KCK, with all its components, ceases to be a threat.”

Ali Yerlikaya – Minister of Interior

“From now on, it is words, not weapons, that will speak. Hope, not fear, will grow. We are witnessing a historic day on the path toward a Turkey free of terrorism.”

Yılmaz Tunç – Minister of Justice

“A Turkey freed from the scourge of terrorism will now spend its energy on stability, development and prosperity.”

Ömer Çelik – AKP Spokesperson

“Reaching the goal of a ‘Turkey free of terrorism’ will free our country from the burden of terrorism and enable our surrounding region to reach the goal of becoming a ‘region free of terrorism.'”

Ali Babacan – DEVA Party Chairman

“I hope it will be auspicious for our country and that it will help bring about lasting peace and stability. We will continue to follow the process with cautious optimism.”

Ahmet Davutoğlu – Future Party Chairman

Stating that the weapons-burning ceremony was “not an end but a beginning,” he noted that there were still very important stages yet to be passed.

Iraqi Presidency Press Office

“This step sheds light on the future, creating opportunities for peace and coexistence in the region. It is important that this process be legally guaranteed so that all parties may benefit from it.”

Senior Turkish State Officials – Anonymous statements made to Reuters

The weapons-burning ceremony was described as an “irreversible turning point” in the process, with the next steps said to involve efforts toward the “legal reintegration of PKK members into society.”

Resource: ANF, DW, BBC