Introduction
This week marks a critical step in Türkiye’s “Terrorless Türkiye” or “Türkiye Without Terror” (Terörsüz Türkiye) process, initiated by MHP (Nationalist Action Party) Chairman Dr. Devlet Bahçeli, which aims to end the ethnic conflict that has plagued Türkiye for over 40 years by having the PKK terrorist organization lay down its arms and be dismantled. The “framework law” (çerçeve yasa), necessary to continue this process, is expected to be passed by the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) this week. In this article, I will briefly summarize the “Terrorless Türkiye” process and evaluate the “framework law” phase.
Short History of the Process
“Terrorless Türkiye” or “Türkiye Without Terror” (Terörsüz Türkiye) process started on October 1, 2024, with a major surprise: Dr. Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the MHP, a party with a Turkish nationalist political stance, shook hands with pro-Kurdish DEM Party MPs. This was followed by a shocking proposal by Bahçeli that Abdullah Öcalan, the founding leader of the PKK who had been imprisoned for years, should dissolve his organization, come to the Turkish Grand National Assembly to speak, and benefit from his “right to hope” (umut hakkı).
Following this, PKK’s imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan also made a historic call for peace on July 9, 2025. Incarcerated in İmralı Prison on İmralı Island, Öcalan, as the founder of the PKK, called PKK militants to lay down their arms and make peace with the Turkish State. Öcalan said: “I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons, and I call on you to put this principle into practice. Establishing a disarmament mechanism will advance the process. What has been done is a voluntary transition from the stage of armed struggle to the stage of democratic politics and law. This should not be considered a loss, but a historic gain. The details of laying down arms will be determined and implemented quickly.“
Reacting to this call, the PKK began laying down arms on July 11, 2025. The symbolic ceremony took place in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)-controlled city of Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq. Accordingly, 30 PKK fighters, including four commanders, set fire to their weapons in the Casana cave as part of a symbolic ceremony to show the terrorist organization’s support for the peace process.
This step was followed by Turkish parliamentarians’ long effort to prepare a comprehensive report as part of the studies and research conducted in the “National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission” (Milli Dayanışma, Kardeşlik ve Demokrasi Komisyonu) within the TBMM. The report was published and received the support of almost all political parties represented within the Turkish Parliament. To further make progress, however, the Turkish State needed a law to eliminate the PKK and finalize the peace process.
Framework Law (Çerçeve Yasa)
The “Framework Law” proposal, prepared within the framework of the new process called “Terrorless Türkiye” or “Türkiye Without Terrorism” in Türkiye, has been brought to the agenda of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) as of August 2026 with the aim of regulating the legal status of the PKK’s members, its dissolution, and the laying down of arms. This regulation, which is aimed to be enacted before the Assembly goes on recess (at the latest by mid-August), is not a general “amnesty law“, but rather prepares a legal basis for the phased return and trial of members of the organization who lay down their arms.
The main outlines of the draft law, as reflected in the behind-the-scenes discussions, are as follows:
One-Time and Temporary: The law will not be a permanent regulation, but will be applied only once, tied to a specific schedule.
Definition of “Disbanded Organization”: The proposal stipulates that the organization’s dissolution process, including laying down arms, will be determined and confirmed by the relevant state institutions.
6-Month Application Period: Members of terrorist organizations officially confirmed as disbanded will be given a 6-month period to apply. Those who return and surrender within this period will be able to benefit from the regulation.
Exemptions from Prosecution and Conditions: Organization members who apply within the specified period will not be prosecuted for crimes such as membership, propaganda, and aiding and abetting.
3-Year Probation: Organization members who have not been involved in serious crimes such as murder and torture will be released on condition of 3 years of probation. During this period, they will not be able to engage in politics and will be deprived of certain public rights. Those who do not commit a new crime for 3 years will have their old case files closed.
Intelligence and Monitoring Mechanism: The disarmament and return processes will be monitored by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT), and the Parliament will be regularly informed.
Status of Öcalan and Organization Leaders: According to insider information, the law does not include any direct legal status for PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan or an amnesty for high-ranking members. It has been stated that Öcalan, through the İmralı delegation, conveyed a message that the law should be approached “positively, not negatively.”
The ruling party (AKP/AK Parti) plans to submit the framework bill with a joint signature, taking into account social sensitivities and including the views of opposition parties. Simultaneously, a separate social support package is being submitted to Parliament, expanding the personal rights, social support, and public employment opportunities (such as removing restrictions on all children of martyrs) for the families of martyrs and veterans (şehit ve gazi aileleri) who have long been seeking justice in Ankara. It is also stated that the harmonization laws to be enacted on the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) and the Anti-Terrorism Law (TMK) may be postponed until the new legislative session beginning on October 1st.
Conclusion
In conclusion, as evidenced by the recent meeting between Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Jonathan Powell, the UK National Security Advisor who played a critical role in the dissolution of the IRA, Türkiye is determined to overcome this 40-year-long conflict, and public support for this is quite high. For this process not to fail, all segments and political entities must act responsibly and with a sense of “state policy“. Because a Türkiye that overcomes this problem can make significant progress in democracy and the rule of law, as well as in the economy. Therefore, it is necessary to be constructive in this process and to trust the state, while improving the conditions of those harmed by terrorism, but also understanding that such a long-lasting and widespread terrorist movement can never survive without legitimate grounds.
Last word, the people of Türkiye, and indeed the entire world, should thank Devlet Bahçeli, who initiated this process, the Erdoğan government that supports him, and the opposition parties that did not sabotage it, for giving peace a chance. Because it is our most natural right to live in a world where our children do not die needlessly.
Prof. Dr. Ozan ÖRMECİ
