--- title: "Historic Turning Point: Turkish Parliament Passes Law to End 40-Year Conflict with PKK" description: "🇹🇷 Turkey takes a historic step: parliament passes law to end 40-year conflict with PKK. The document provides amnesty for 3,500 fighters who surrender weapons, but does not cover PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan. Nationalist leader Bahçeli supported Erdoğan's initiative, however, Kurds call Öcalan's release the main condition for peace. #Turkey #PKK #Politics #PeaceProcess" date: 2026-08-10T22:22:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/turkey-parliament-approves-pkk-peace-law-erdogan tags: [turkey, pkk, erdogan, abdullah-ocalan, middle-east-politics, ceasefire] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Historic Turning Point: Turkish Parliament Passes Law to End 40-Year Conflict with PKK ![Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan against the Turkish flag, symbolizing the historic step toward peace after 40 years of conflict with the PKK](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/10/turkey-parliament-approves-pkk-peace-law-erdogan/turkey-parliament-approves-pkk-peace-law-erdogan-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The Turkish parliament voted for a law to end the conflict with the PKK (468 for, 88 against). - Amnesty is provided for about 3,500 fighters, but does not apply to murderers and Abdullah Öcalan. - Nationalist leader Devlet Bahçeli supported the bill, which was key to its success. - The PKK considers Öcalan's release a mandatory condition for full disarmament. August 10, 2026, marked the date when Turkey took a decisive step towards ending one of the longest-running armed conflicts in the modern history of the region. The country's parliament voted to adopt a law initiated by the ruling party of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The document, approved by 468 deputies with 88 votes against and 6 abstentions, officially launches the mechanism for ending the long-standing confrontation with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). ### Amnesty Mechanism and Disarmament Conditions The adopted bill provides for the creation of legal conditions for the demilitarization of Kurdish armed formations. According to the text of the document, fighters who voluntarily lay down their arms will be granted the right to suspend criminal prosecution. Legislators estimate that in the first stage, amnesty could cover approximately 3,500 individuals linked to the PKK. The condition for closing cases is the absence of new crimes during a set period, which varies from five to ten years. If conditions are met, punishments will be considered served, and criminal cases closed. ### Key Exclusions and the Role of Abdullah Öcalan An important aspect of the new law is the clear delineation of responsibility. The document does not extend amnesty to individuals involved in serious crimes, specifically murders. Public attention was particularly drawn to the question of the fate of the founder of the PKK, Abdullah Öcalan. The 77-year-old leader, who has been in detention on İmralı Island since 1999, played a key role in launching the peace process by calling on his supporters in February 2025 to switch to political methods of struggle. However, as Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz stated, Öcalan's case does not fall under the new law, and his release is not provided for. ### Political Consensus and Allies' Reaction The adoption of the law became possible thanks to an unexpected political shift. The leader of the nationalist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, who traditionally held a hardline stance on the Kurdish issue, supported the bill. It was his change in rhetoric in the autumn of 2024 that became the catalyst for dialogue with Öcalan. Vice President Yılmaz called the vote a "historic step," noting that broad parliamentary support indicates the achievement of a national consensus. It is expected that disarmament and the dissolution of armed groups will be implemented in the shortest possible time. ### Contradictory Data Despite the optimism of the authorities, there are disagreements regarding the effectiveness of the law. Representatives of the PKK previously stated that the release of Abdullah Öcalan is one of the main conditions for the full conclusion of the conflict. The leadership of the group warned that without this step, part of the provisions of the new law might remain merely a formality, and the radical wing of the party would not agree to disarm. At the same time, Turkish authorities insist that Öcalan can play a role in the peace process while remaining in prison, without specifying the details of his participation. This creates a risk that, despite the adoption of the law, hostilities may not cease completely. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Turkey Detains Around 300 Suspects in Operation Against PKK](https://ru.euronews.com/2025/02/18/pkk-crackdown-turke) - Подтверждено по источнику ru.euronews.com - [Kurdistan Workers' Party Announces End of 40-Year War Against Turkey](https://www.unian.net/world/turciya-i-kurdy-v-rpk-obyavili-o-zavershenii-voyny-13006245.html) - Источник подтверждает контекст завершения войны и роль РПК в процессе, что согласуется с текстом новости о голосовании парламента. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who supported the peace law with the PKK? **A:** The law was supported by Erdoğan's ruling party and, in a sensation, the nationalist MHP party led by Devlet Bahçeli. ### Q: Will Abdullah Öcalan be released? **A:** No, according to Vice President Yılmaz's statement, Öcalan's case does not fall under the new law. ### Q: How many fighters can receive amnesty? **A:** Legislators estimate that in the first stage, amnesty will cover about 3,500 people.