Turkey’s newly formed parliamentary peace committee convened for the first time Tuesday, launching an ambitious effort to end the decadeslong conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The 51-member body, which draws lawmakers from nearly all major political factions, will steer and monitor the political and legal steps of a peace plan set in motion after the PKK’s surprise decision to disband and abandon armed struggle.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, addressing the opening session, called the effort a “historic turning point.” He told lawmakers, “This commission is not an ordinary delegation; it represents the courage to shape our future and the will to strengthen social unity. We are witnessing the beginning of a new era that reflects the will of the nation.” After his remarks, the meeting moved behind closed doors.
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The PKK has fought the Turkish state since 1984, in a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. While the group initially demanded full independence, it later sought greater autonomy and expanded rights for Kurds within Turkey. Ankara, the US, and the European Union classify the PKK as a terrorist organization.
Last month, in a ceremony in northern Iraq heavy with symbolism, PKK fighters began turning in their weapons—an unprecedented step in the group’s nearly 40-year insurgency. The move followed a February appeal from imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan, who urged members to convene a congress and formally end the armed campaign.
The committee’s work will now test whether decades of bloodshed can give way to lasting political compromise.