Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş described the approval by 467 votes of the National Solidarity and Strengthening Social Integration Act, prepared as part of the Terror-Free Türkiye process, as a sign of the political and intellectual consensus that has emerged in the country.
Speaking at the Anadolu Agency Editors’ Desk meeting, Kurtulmuş said the regulation responded to society-wide expectations for peace and stability. Calling for this opportunity to be seized, Kurtulmuş urged political actors to move away from confrontational and polarizing language in political debates.
No regulation concerning the state’s structure
Kurtulmuş said the law contains no changes concerning the state’s fundamental characteristics, national sovereignty, the unity and integrity of the country, or its centralized structure. He said the regulation had been prepared with a balance that takes into account the public conscience, the memory of those killed in service and the sacrifices of the wounded.
Emphasizing that the law is not a general amnesty, Kurtulmuş said the authorized board to be established for its implementation would examine each case separately and conduct the proceedings based on those assessments.
Five-year deferral for investigations and prosecutions
The regulation, which was approved and entered into force on Monday evening, sets out the procedures to be implemented after the National Security Council decision is published in the Official Gazette. The decision requires security units to establish that the PKK and affiliated structures have ended their actual presence and surrendered the weapons and ammunition under their control.
The law covers offenses involving the establishment or management of an organization, membership in an organization, knowingly and intentionally providing assistance, propaganda on behalf of an organization, and crimes committed as part of organizational activities, as well as offenses covered by legislation on preventing the financing of terrorism.
Under the legal regulation, investigations and prosecutions concerning covered offenses punishable by up to 15 years in prison may be deferred for five years. Intentional homicide committed as part of organizational activities, as well as offenses committed before June 1, 2005, that require a life sentence, are excluded from its scope.
Emphasis on a new constitution and social integration
Kurtulmuş said he viewed the preparation of a new civilian constitution as a duty and responsibility toward society. Saying that the current political environment had matured sufficiently for this step, Kurtulmuş argued that the model for Türkiye that would emerge upon completion of the process could serve as an example worldwide and be studied at universities.
Kurtulmuş said one of the main objectives of the Terror-Free Türkiye process was to reach a level of political and social maturity in which no Kurdish young person in the country would consider joining the mountains in the future. He noted that Türkiye’s internal cohesion needed to be strengthened.
