Parliament panel moves toward final report on anti-terror bid
ANKARA
A parliamentary commission overseeing the government’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative is set to consolidate separate party reports into a single framework for new legislation.
The National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission is expected to submit the joint text to parliament after discussions and debates, serving as a blueprint for laws tied to the initiative.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) submitted a 60-page report on Dec. 19, calling for verification that PKK has disbanded. The report proposes a separate law for the process, rehabilitation for former PKK members and compliance by the terror group’s Syrian affiliates with the neighboring country's integration agreements, according to local media.
For its part, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) submitted a 53-page report on Dec. 18 asking for adherence to Constitutional Court and European Court of Human Rights rulings, strengthening local administrations and ending the appointment of trustees.
The report also recommends abolishing the offense of insulting the president, restoring historical names of villages and districts in the Kurdish-majority east, returning displaced villagers in the region to their homes and clearing mined areas for agriculture.
In its text, the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) called for the release of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, allowing him to meet delegations and the press “in terms of the necessities of the process and the socialization of peace.”
The pro-Kurdish party has maintained channels with Öcalan within the framework of the peace initiative, under which PKK announced a ceasefire and later declared its decision to dissolve and disarm.
Meanwhile, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) focused on legal amendments, noting that conditional release assessments for PKK members require changes to the anti-terrorism law.
"A system should be envisioned that, depending on their position within the organization, gradually reduces, postpones, or diminishes criminal responsibility under certain conditions,” its report read.
The parliamentary commission convened for the 19th time on Dec. 4, reviewing findings from a cross-party delegation that visited Öcalan on the İmralı prison island off Istanbul on Nov. 24.
AKP, DEM Party and MHP representatives took part in the İmralı visit, while the CHP and the New Path bloc — including Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA Party), Felicity Party and Future Party — declined.
Since its establishment, the panel has collected input from government ministers, unions, academics, legal experts, civil society groups and families of fallen soldiers. Its mandate expires Dec. 31 but may be extended in one-month intervals if further work is needed.
The commission was formed after Öcalan’s call earlier this year prompted PKK to disarm. A first group of members burned their weapons in July, and the terror group said it was withdrawing from Turkish territory in late October.
The İYİ (Good) Party remains the only major political party boycotting the initiative outright and declined to send members to the panel.