Turkey Passes Law on PKK Disarmament and Peace Process

Turkey's parliament has passed a landmark law establishing a legal framework for the disarmament of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), marking the most comprehensive legislative step yet in a peace process aimed at ending a four-decade insurgency. The legislation, approved on Monday, August 10, 2026, passed with overwhelming support, receiving 468 votes in favor and 88 against, with six abstentions.

The law, officially titled the "Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration," provides a pathway for the dissolution of the PKK and the reintegration of its members into civilian life. It outlines judicial procedures for individuals linked to the group, including mechanisms such as supervised release, sentence postponement, and judicial supervision. However, the provisions will only take effect after Turkey's National Security Council determines that the PKK and its affiliated structures have fully disbanded and surrendered all weapons.

The vote represents a pivotal moment in a peace initiative that began in October 2024, when Devlet Bahceli, leader of the nationalist MHP party and a key ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, made an unexpected overture to...