ANKARA(National Times)- A majority of Turkish MPs on Wednesday backed limited and conditional amnesty for PKK fighters, a first legislative st\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00adep to end decades of deadly fighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Entitled \u201cStrengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration,\u201d the bill, which will be put to a vote soon, was signed by 360 of 592 MPs. They include lawmakers from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan\u2019s ruling AKP party, its ally the MHP, and the pro-Kurdish DEM party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the main opposition grouping, the newly created Yeni Parti, did not join, regretting they were given access to the text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI hope that this measure, which aims to rid Turkiye once and for all of the terrorist threat, to strengthen our national unity and solidarity, and to consolidate the climate of peace in our country and our region, will bear fruit,\u201d Erdogan said on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe draft law\u2026 drawn up following extensive consultations was presented today to our parliament with broad consensus, reflecting our nation\u2019s determination to find solutions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The proposed law does not specify what will become of Abdullah Ocalan, the 77-year-old founder and longtime leader of the Kurdistan Workers\u2019 Party (PKK), who has spent 27 years in solitary confinement on a prison island. Ocalan had responded favourably to the peace initiative by calling on the movement to renounce armed struggle and lay down its weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The draft law \u201cconstitutes a basic framework that represents the first step in the legislative process\u201d aimed at \u201crestoring peace and brotherhood\u201d in Turkiye and in the region, according to its preamble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It includes a mechanism opening the way for PKK fighters to return to civilian life in Turkey, on condition that the armed organisation \u201chas ceased to exist in practice and handed over all weapons and ammunition under its control, and that a decision by the National Security Council confirming this determination has been published in the Official Gazette.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The launching of investigations and the execution of sentences relating to \u201cthe creation, management and propaganda of the PKK, as well as membership\u201d in the armed group and the activities arising from it, including its financing, will be subject to a suspension of between five and 10 years, depending on the charges brought against the fighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If there are no repeat offences during the suspension period, investigations will be closed and sentences will be considered served, which could amount to a de facto amnesty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The text however excludes from the amnesty \u201cintentional homicides\u201d and \u201ccrimes punishable by life imprisonment committed before June 1, 2005.\u201c<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ANKARA(National Times)- A majority of Turkish MPs on Wednesday backed limited and conditional amnesty for PKK fighters, a first legislative st\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00adep to end decades of deadly fighting. Entitled \u201cStrengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration,\u201d the bill, which will be put to a vote soon, was signed by 360 of 592 MPs. They include lawmakers from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":130815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-130814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n