Turkey's Erdogan signs law offering conditional pardon for thousands of PKK militants
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signed a law offering conditional pardons to PKK militants, provided the group fully disarms. The legislation aims to end a decades-long conflict, though key leaders remain excluded from the amnesty.
Why it matters
This represents a significant potential shift in Turkish national security and regional stability, marking a formal attempt to resolve a long-standing insurgency.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signed into law a measure that would introduce a conditional pardon for thousands of Kurdish militants as part of a government peace effort with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.
The measure was published in the Official Gazette on Tuesday (August 18, 2026). It will only come into force after Turkey's National Security Council confirms that the group has fully dissolved itself and disarmed.
Parliament approved the bill overwhelmingly last week. It would suspend certain prison sentences for convicted PKK members and postpone ongoing investigations and trials against others for five or 10 years, depending on the severity of the crime. Authorities would drop the cases against the individuals if they don't re-offend during those periods.
The legislation also establishes a committee to oversee the group's disarmament, with its first meeting expected next week.
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