Turkish Parliament adopts Kurdish reform bill

ANKARA

Parliament on July 10 adopted a bill of six articles on reforms to help find a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue.

The bill will allow the government to take all measures it deems necessary to move the talks forward, including steps to grant amnesty to Kurdish militants who lay down arms.

Article 4 of the bill, which gives the government’s peace process with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) a legal framework, had led to concerns as it grants broad and vague immunity to officials involved in negotiations with the PKK.

An amendment introduced by the AKP on July 9 during parliamentary debates aims to clarify that this immunity is limited to assignments defined in the bill.

Debates on the bill at Parliament’s General Assembly began on July 8, after being adopted by Parliament’s Internal Affairs Commission on July 4.

Last year, PKK militants agreed to a cease-fire but later halted the withdrawal of fighters from Turkey, saying the government had not kept its promises.

Turkish media reports have suggested that the militants will resume their withdrawal in September.