Turkey's Erdoğan advances ‘Terror‑Free Turkey’ legal framework in party and cabinet meetings

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan chaired the AK Party Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting, where the primary agenda was the draft law for the “Terörsüz Türkiye” (Terror‑Free Turkey) process. The proposal, slated for submission to the Turkish Parliament within the next week, outlines a temporary legal framework that excludes special provisions for Abdullah Öcalan, excludes persons already serving aggravated life sentences, and allows “effective repentance” to waive punishment for former PKK members who have not committed other crimes. It also prescribes 3‑5 years of judicial control, bans office‑holding and political activity for returning militants, and requires validation by the National Security Council before a presidential decree.

A subsequent cabinet meeting, chaired by Erdoğan at Beştepe, will review the same legislative draft alongside economic matters – such as maintaining central‑bank interest rates, inflation control, and a pension uplift – and foreign‑policy issues, including the renewed US‑Iran tension, its impact on energy prices, CAATSA sanctions and the F‑35 delivery program, as well as the response to forest fires. Both bodies aim to finalize the legal steps before parliament recesses.