Ankara Moves Forward on Peace Process as Parliament Committee Convenes

SONNA

Turkish Parliament.

The Speaker of the Turkish Parliament announced that the inaugural meeting of the parliamentary committee tasked with overseeing the peace process will take place next Tuesday, 5 August 2025, in the Parliament's ceremonial hall. 

The committee, comprising 51 members selected in proportion to each party’s parliamentary representation, has been formed to put forward recommendations and proposals for advancing the next phase of Türkiye’s peace process.

The committee includes representatives from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), the Republican People's Party (CHP), and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), along with several other parties. Its initial discussions will focus on the legal framework of the peace process, operational principles, and working mechanisms. The session will open with remarks from Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, followed by contributions from representatives of the participating parties.

Speaker Kurtulmuş formally invited party representatives to attend the committee’s first session, which is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

Speaking in Geneva at the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, Kurtulmuş addressed the developments following Imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan’s call for peace and democratic transformation. 

“With the laying down of arms, responsibility has now shifted to the Turkish Parliament,” he stated. “The process is progressing as planned, and disarmament efforts remain underway. The committee will introduce certain legal amendments in support of disarmament, and we are collectively committed to advancing this phase with a sense of sacrifice and shared responsibility.”

Following the opening address, political party representatives are expected to conduct a general assessment and contribute to defining the committee’s principles, structure, and procedures.

Observers believe this stage will lay the necessary foundation for deepening the democratic process in Türkiye. The committee is expected to operate as a forum for the open exchange of ideas and the formation of consensus-based recommendations that reflect the broader interests of both the state and the people.

Kurtulmuş emphasised that Türkiye has a historic opportunity to progress with political will and national cohesion, under the banner of unity and solidarity. He added that the committee would submit its proposals to Parliament within a short time frame.

Committee decisions will be made by majority vote. However, the committee will not propose legislation; instead, it will present recommendations and solutions to guide the next stage of the peace process.

Officials from the DEM Party have voiced hopes that the PKK will be removed from terror lists, a move they argue is necessary to allow for reduced sentencing and to prevent the dismissal of elected mayors under related legal provisions.

The PKK announced in May 2025 that it would formally disband and abandon its armed struggle, following a call from Öcalan in February for the group to convene a congress and begin a full disarmament process.

Answering the call, the PKK took the first formal step towards disarmament on 11 July 2025, where a group of PKK fighters laid down their weapons and destroyed them in a ceremony held in Sulaymaniyah. The step marked a significant turning point after more than four decades of armed struggle.




PUKMEDIA