The Turkish Parliament has approved a limited amnesty for PKK members
The Turkish Parliament has passed a law granting limited amnesty to some members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) who lay down their arms. After 12 hours of debate, 468 lawmakers voted in favor of the so-called “Turkey Without Terrorism” law, while 88 voted against it and six abstained, according to France 24.
The law provides for the possibility of a return to civilian life for some PKK fighters, but it is not a general amnesty. The legislation suspends criminal prosecutions and the enforcement of sentences for certain crimes for a period of five to ten years. If the individuals covered by the law do not commit new offenses during this period, investigations will be closed, and their sentences will be considered served.
According to lawmakers, in the initial phase, the law may apply to approximately 3,500 PKK-affiliated prisoners—about one-third of such individuals in Turkish prisons. At the same time, individuals involved in serious crimes, particularly murder, will not be eligible for this provision.
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The text of the law makes no mention of PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held in solitary confinement for 27 years on the prison island of Imrali near Istanbul. Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz previously stated that Öcalan’s case does not fall within the scope of this law, although it could contribute to the peace process.
Yılmaz called the vote a historic step and stated that the 468 votes in favor are of great significance for political consensus. Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), also welcomed the passage of the law. At the same time, the PKK leadership stated that the exclusion of Öcalan’s case from the legislation is a red line and warned that without his release, many provisions of the law may remain unimplemented.
In February 2025, Öcalan called on his supporters to lay down their arms and defend the rights of Turkey’s Kurdish minority through democratic means. In May of that same year, the PKK announced its self-dissolution, and two months later, its fighters held a symbolic weapons destruction ceremony in the mountains of northern Iraq.
