Local reports said on Feb. 13 that a parliamentary commission overseeing the government’s "terror-free Türkiye" initiative will propose a transitional law aimed at reintegrating disarmed PKK members into society, according to a draft final report circulated to political parties.
The report, centered on the concept of “social integration,” is expected to expand to over 500 pages once the additional submissions of political parties are incorporated.
The commission envisions a temporary transitional law tailored specifically to the process and applicable only to members of the disbanded organization, daily Hürriyet said. Once the commission’s report is approved, the proposed legislation is expected to be introduced to the parliamentary agenda and could pass next month with the backing of the ruling bloc.
According to the document, any legislative proposal would be brought to parliament only after state institutions confirm that the terror group has fully dissolved and no longer poses a threat. Such verification could come through reports issued by the National Intelligence Organization or relevant security ministries, the report said.
The draft does not explicitly reference the debated “right to hope” concept — a term associated with the possible release of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, according to the Hürriyet.
Officials say the law would facilitate the return of PKK members abroad who are Turkish citizens and could enable the release of individuals imprisoned on charges related to PKK membership or propaganda. Some 4,200 inmates are currently incarcerated on such charges.
Momentum behind the initiative increased last year after Öcalan issued a call that prompted PKK to begin disarming. A first batch of members publicly destroyed their weapons in July, and the organization later announced it would withdraw from Turkish territory in October.
The İYİ (Good) Party remains the only major political party boycotting the initiative and has declined to send representatives to the parliamentary commission.
