Turkish parliament to begin debating 'National Solidarity' bill on Friday

The Turkish parliament's Justice Commission will begin deliberations Friday on the proposed Bill on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion, the legislation prepared as part of the government's "Terror-Free Türkiye" initiative.

Justice Commission Chairman Cuneyt Yuksel said Wednesday that the commission would convene on Aug. 7 to begin discussions on the bill, which was submitted to parliament following the completion of work by the parliamentary National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission.

Yuksel described the bill as one of the most significant pieces of legislation in parliament's history, saying it aims to translate security gains into lasting social peace within the framework of the rule of law.

He reiterated that the bill does not constitute an amnesty and does not include person-specific provisions, adding that its implementation would be conditional on security authorities verifying that the PKK/KCK terrorist organization and all affiliated structures have dissolved and surrendered their weapons, followed by confirmation through a National Security Council decision published in the Official Gazette.

"From Edirne (western Türkiye) to Hakkari (eastern Türkiye) the common voice is this: Let weapons, not our children, be buried in the ground," Yuksel said. "Every article we draft and every provision we adopt in parliament will be the legal expression of that common aspiration."

Bill on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion

The bill aims to set out the procedures for deferring ongoing investigations and prosecutions, postponing the enforcement of final convictions, and carrying out other related measures after authorities verify that the terrorist group PKK/KCK has ended its activities and surrendered all weapons and ammunition under its control.

It covers offenses including establishing or leading the PKK/KCK, membership in the terror group, knowingly assisting the group, spreading propaganda of committing crimes on behalf of the group, and committing terrorism-financing offenses for its benefit.

Deferral would be possible only after security institutions verify that the group has ended its activities and surrendered its weapons, and the National Security Council's confirmation is published in the Official Gazette.

Investigations and prosecutions for offenses punishable by up to 15 years in prison would be deferred for five years, while those involving sentences of more than 15 years, life sentences, or aggravated life sentences would be deferred for 10 years.

The measure would not apply to intentional killings committed as part of the group's activities or to certain offenses committed before June 1, 2005.