Parliament to form monitoring body for disarmament process

ROME

Parliament will establish a monitoring body for the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative in the coming days, Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said on Oct. 14.

Speaking to members of the Turkish community in Rome, Kurtulmuş said the proposed body would include representatives of all parties with parliamentary groups.

He pointed to the law on strengthening national solidarity and social integration, approved with 467 votes, as evidence of broad political support for the process.

Kurtulmuş said steps toward the PKK’s dissolution and disarmament were continuing.

“The process of vacating caves and laying down arms is continuing,” he said.

A separate board chaired by the vice president would assess progress case by case, he added.

Kurtulmuş described resolving Türkiye’s internal problems as a national priority amid regional conflicts and said the initiative’s significance extended beyond the country’s borders.

He said the process was already having positive effects in Iraq and Syria and expressed hope that armed groups and militias would cease to operate, leaving weapons solely in the hands of state authorities.

Turning to regional developments, Kurtulmuş warned that the Russia-Ukraine war threatened Black Sea security and risked spreading further.

He said Türkiye favored keeping diplomatic channels open and resolving conflicts through negotiations.

Kurtulmuş is visiting Rome for a conference of European parliamentary speakers.

He said he would meet Chamber of Deputies Speaker Lorenzo Fontana and Senate President Ignazio La Russa to discuss parliamentary cooperation.