By Nergis Demirkaya
Following the PKK’s dissolution and decision to lay down arms, the Parliamentary Commission on Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy has completed 45 days of work. Having met 11 times, the commission will discuss a “Return Home Law” once parliament reopens on Oct. 1.
The bill, expected to consist of 9 or 10 articles, will be followed by a review of the penal code and enforcement law. While the government is moving cautiously due to developments in Syria and the “stalling” of the disarmament process, Öcalan and the DEM Party insist on speeding up. The core issue remains the lack of public trust and support for the process.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş says the commission has two main objectives: first, to monitor disarmament and enact the necessary legislation, notably the “Return Home Law” for former PKK members; and second, to address public concerns and generate social consent for the process.
DEM PARTY’S TWO DEMANDS
To push the process forward, the DEM Party has two demands.
First, it wants a 4 or 5 member delegation from the commission to meet PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, whom they call the “key actor” in the process. Second, it calls for debates on the legal framework to start before parliament reopens. Öcalan has issued a similar call: “The process of peace and democratic society has reached the stage of a legal solution.”
THE GOVERNMENT’S SYRIA DILEMMA
The AKP wants to see how the integration crisis between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—viewed as a PKK offshoot by Ankara—and the new Damascus administration unfolds. They also want to monitor whether the organization, which symbolically burned weapons on July 11, has continued to do so in the past two months. “We need to reassess both regional developments and the PKK’s latest steps toward disarmament. Legal measures will be taken in light of these. This process may extend into mid-October, when parliament reconvenes,” an AKP official told Turkey in Depth. “
A delegation from the commission to Öcalan had been given a green light by the MHP, which said such a move “would not constitute a weakness.”
The CHP is against nominating members for the delegation but not opposed to the visit itself. The AKP has not clarified its position. Its MPs suggest they might join if consensus emerges within the commission, but they are in no hurry. A visit to İmralı could take place during the commission’s legislative drafting phase.
WHAT KIND OF LAW WILL BE DRAFTED?
The commission has not yet begun, but others are working on drafts. According to government sources, the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and the Justice Ministry have already prepared a preliminary text. The AKP will build on this work.
Commission members say the 9–10 article draft will define the “organization that laid down arms and dissolved itself,” regulate the legal status of its members, and arrange their reintegration into society.
The MHP is also drafting its own proposals, which it intends to present jointly with the AKP, though no coordination has yet taken place.
The CHP, for its part, will not table a special bill. Instead, it will submit the 29-article democratization package it previously introduced. The party plans to review the government’s “Return Home Law” before commenting.
ENFORCEMENT LAW: AN INDISPENSABLE STEP
One of the legal reforms the commission must address will concern inmates currently in prison, both detainees and convicts.
The enforcement law, described as a “patchwork quilt,” is in need of comprehensive revision. Both the AKP and MHP support “equality in enforcement.” This means eliminating varying parole ratios such as two-thirds or three-quarters depending on the crime. If an agreement is reached, the enforcement ratio for all types of crimes will be set at one-half.
For example, a 10-year sentence would mean five years in prison with conditional release. Given that organization members currently serve three-quarters of their sentences, such a reform would allow many to walk free. Another proposal is to reduce sentences for certain crimes. A previously discussed option—proposed by the MHP—was a five-year conditional reduction.
WILL THE “RIGHT TO HOPE” ENTER LAW?
MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli’s Oct. 22, 20024 pledge to grant Öcalan a “right to hope” if he dissolved the organization caused a stir. PKK figures and the DEM Party have begun reminding the government of this promise. While such a step would require legal amendments, opposition is rising in eastern and southeastern provinces. Yet, the government says it is not on the agenda and that there is not enough public support to discuss the subject.
Opposition figures, particularly from the CHP, also distance themselves from the idea. They feel it would be wrong to discuss Öcalan’s freedom when there are so many threats to freedom of thought and expression.
Still, the issue will have to be faced eventually.
DEM PARTY CONGRESS: CONSULTING ÖCALAN
Meanwhile, the DEM Party is preparing for change—starting with its name and extending to organizational, political, and personnel matters.
Before taking a final decision on a congress, the party’s co-chairs and some Central Executive Board members will visit İmralı to consult Öcalan. His views will shape the party’s restructuring. If expected legal changes materialize, politicians currently imprisoned or exiled in Europe are also expected to rejoin the party.
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE: TRUST
The process that began on Oct. 1, when MHP Chair Bahçeli extended a hand to the DEM Party, is nearing its first anniversary. In February 2025, Öcalan called for disarmament; in May, the PKK congress declared dissolution; and in July, weapons were set aflame.
Yet, little progress has been made even on humanitarian issues such as the release of sick prisoners. Investigations against CHP municipalities have continued unabated, and controversial cases have spread to the party itself, raising the specter of trusteeship.
AKP officials attribute the lack of progress to insufficient public backing. The opposition stresses that this crisis of trust cannot be overcome with anti-democratic practices. Since its inception, the process has unfolded amid the contradiction of peace calls on one side and war cries on the other. With the reopening of parliament, the process is set to enter a new phase.
