ANKARA: Türkiye's ruling alliance submitted a draft law to parliament on Wednesday meant to achieve peace with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in part by protecting many former militants from prosecution and suspending prison sentences for some others.
The draft law marks a leap towards ending an insurgency that has killed more than 40,000 people since 1984, sown deep discord at home and fuelled violence across borders in Iraq and Syria.
It aims to end the decades-old conflict in part by facilitating the return to Türkiye of potentially thousands of former PKK militants and civilians from hideouts in northern Iraq.
It is backed by a majority of lawmakers and is expected to pass the assembly later this week, but polls show some scepticism that it will bring lasting peace. Türkiye's national security council would verify the group's disarmament and a committee including the vice-president, some ministers and the head of the MIT intelligence agency would oversee the militants' surrender and disarmament under the bill.
The committee would inform a parliamentary commission on the proceedings of the process.
The bill would suspend prison sentences for those convicted of PKK membership or aiding the group, according to the text seen by Reuters. It also legally protects militants who were not involved in killings and who return to Türkiye within six months of the law passing parliament.
PKK officials convicted of serious crimes, including leading a terrorist organisation and aggravated life sentences before 2005 would not benefit from legal protections or suspended sentences.
This means PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, jailed since 1999 with an aggravated life sentence, would remain in prison. Ocalan called on the PKK to disarm and disband last year and the group agreed. — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
