Türkiye Forms Parliamentary Commission to Oversee PKK Disarmament, Advance Peace Process

Türkiye's parliament has launched a new 51-member commission to oversee the disarmament of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) following the group’s decision to disband and end its armed insurgency, a move prompted by a call from its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan. This commission, including representatives from all major parties except the nationalist IYI Party, aims not only to supervise disarmament but also to propose legal and political reforms to secure permanent peace and advance democratization. A symbolic step toward disarmament occurred last month when 30 PKK fighters burned their weapons in northern Iraq. Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus described the commission as a historic turning point, emphasizing transparency, inclusiveness, and the will of the nation in this new era for Türkiye. The pro-Kurdish DEM Party, instrumental in facilitating Ocalan’s peace call, reiterated demands for Kurdish cultural and political rights during the commission's sessions. The initiative reflects a significant shift in the decades-long conflict that has claimed over 40,000 lives and signals hope for lasting peace and social integration in the region.