Turkey's parliament passes conditional PKK pardon law, leaving Öcalan in prison

Parliament approves framework law

Turkey's parliament voted on Monday evening, August 10, to pass the "Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration," a framework bill submitted by the ruling AKP and its nationalist ally MHP. Vote counts varied across sources: Deutsche Welle reported 467 of 592 MPs in favor, Ouest France and RFI reported 468 of 562, and Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported 486 of 600. The bill passed after twelve hours of debate, according to RFI.

The pro-Kurdish DEM party supported the bill but described it as only a first step requiring further reforms. The ultranationalist opposition party IYI, which counts around forty deputies, fiercely opposed the legislation. IYI delegate Ayyüce Türkeş, daughter of the founder of the ultranationalist Grey Wolves, accused the government of rushing the bill through parliament and criticized what she saw as an overly conciliatory stance toward PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan, whom she called a "baby killer." A physical altercation occurred during consultations, according to Deutsche Welle.

What the law provides

The law suspends criminal prosecutions and the execution of sentences for PKK members not directly involved in violent acts for a period of five to ten years, according to Deutsche Welle and RFI. Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported a range of five to fifteen years. If no further terrorist offenses are committed during the probation period, investigations can be permanently closed and sentences considered served.

The measures only take effect once the National Security Council officially confirms in the government gazette that the PKK has fully disbanded and surrendered all weapons and military equipment. PKK members would then have six months to apply for sentence relief. The process is to be monitored by the Turkish intelligence service. Those convicted of homicide or sentenced to life imprisonment before June 1, 2005 are excluded.

Öcalan remains in prison

The exclusion means PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned on Imrali island in the Sea of Marmara since 1999, stays behind bars. His release was a core demand of the PKK. Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz stated that Öcalan's fate "does not fall within the scope of this law" but added that he "can still contribute to the peace process." Öcalan, who is 77, called on PKK members to lay down arms from prison last year, calling it a "historic gain." The PKK announced its dissolution in May 2025 and staged a symbolic weapons-burning ceremony in northern Iraq in July 2025.

Estimates of those affected

Estimates of how many prisoners could benefit vary. The Turkish daily Ekonomi Gazetesi, cited by Neue Zürcher Zeitung, reported that approximately 3,600 people imprisoned in Turkey could be released. RFI, citing Turkish deputies, put the figure at about 3,500 former members out of nearly 10,000 prisoners in Turkish jails. Courrier international reported that between 3,000 and 4,000 political prisoners could initially be released. The PKK's operational leadership, based in the Qandil mountains of Iraq, criticized the law in a public statement on Sunday, warning that many provisions would remain ineffective without Öcalan's release and demanding guarantees for former fighters.

Reactions in Diyarbakir

Residents in Diyarbakir, the main city of Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast, reacted with a mix of relief and doubt. Ali Akdogan, a 70-year-old retiree, said he applauded the result at home and expressed hope that the economy would improve. Hasan Gecti, a 56-year-old shop owner, said stability would benefit the region economically and socially but questioned whether the Kurdish issue itself had been addressed.

“Has the Kurdish issue been directly solved? That's a bit of a question mark. In my opinion, only the terrorism problem has been solved.”

Vahap Coşkun, a law professor in Diyarbakir, noted that Turkey has made 13 attempts to disarm the PKK over more than 30 years, but none had progressed as far as this one. He cautioned that the law's passage does not mean the Kurdish question is resolved, citing demands for recognition of the Kurdish language in justice and education. The conflict between the PKK and Turkish forces has killed more than 40,000 people since 1984, according to tagesschau, while Ouest France and Courrier international reported a toll of at least 50,000 dead.