Turkey's Parliament Opens Debate on PKK Amnesty Bill

Turkey's Grand National Assembly opened debate on August 10, 2026 on a 12-article draft law giving conditional amnesty to thousands of PKK members, the legislative centerpiece of the disarmament process launched after the PKK's 2025 decision to disband. The bill would suspend prison sentences for convicted members and postpone ongoing investigations and trials for five to ten years depending on offense severity, with cases dropped entirely if no further terror-related crimes occur; it excludes those convicted of intentional killings and pre-2005 life sentences, meaning jailed PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan does not benefit. Implementation is contingent on Turkey's National Security Council certifying the group has disbanded and surrendered its weapons, after which eligible members would have six months to apply. The ruling AKP-MHP coalition and the pro-Kurdish DEM party back the bill, with DEM demanding further democratic reforms; the PKK called it a good first step with "serious shortcomings" and renewed calls for Öcalan's release, while the nationalist İYİ (Good) Party opposed it, calling it a vehicle to extend Erdoğan's tenure.