Erdoğan says gov’t preparing anti-terror transition bill

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on June 24 his government will soon submit long-anticipated legislation tied to its “terror-free Türkiye” initiative.

“We are working on a legal framework that will accelerate the process of dismantling the organization. As the People’s Alliance, with the support of our parliament, we will hopefully complete this beneficial process and create a record that we will proudly remember in history,” Erdoğan told lawmakers in parliament.

The initiative gained momentum after PKK announced in May 2025 that it had ended armed activities and dissolved its organizational structure. The announcement followed indirect contacts involving jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan as part of a broader reconciliation effort.

Parliament has since formed the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, a 51-member panel chaired by Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and including representatives from all major parties except the İYİ (Good) Party.

Erdoğan said the government would finalize consultations before submitting the draft bill to parliament “without further delay,” describing the legislature as the central venue for resolving political disputes.

“I believe we have more than enough capacity to resolve this issue without compromising the qualities of our state and the values of our nation,” he said. “We will continue to do so.”

He added that successful completion of the process would bring economic and social benefits, particularly in eastern Türkiye, arguing that reduced violence would allow increased investment and development.

“As the shadow of terrorism recedes, we are all seeing and will continue to see a springtime atmosphere in every field, from tourism to employment, from security to agriculture,” Erdoğan said.

“When the chapter of terrorism is completely closed, all 86 million people will breathe a sigh of relief after almost half a century,” he added. “As the resources allocated for combating terrorism are spent on investment, the well-being of every single member of our nation will increase.”

Kurtulmuş has recently acknowledged delays in the process, saying there had been “a serious delay outside the will of İmralı,” referring to the island prison where Öcalan is held.

“I believe this process needs to be accelerated,” Kurtulmuş said at a June 11 conference in Ankara, adding that parliamentary work could continue during the summer recess if needed.

On June 16, lawmakers decided that the General Assembly, originally scheduled to begin its summer break on July 1, would instead continue plenary sessions.

Government officials say security agencies must confirm that PKK has fully disbanded before the legislative phase advances. Kurtulmuş has also cited a symbolic weapons-burning ceremony in Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah as a positive but insufficient step, warning that full verification is still required before moving ahead.