11.08.2026 07:40
The regulation establishing the legal groundwork for the Terror-Free Turkey process was adopted with 467 votes in the Turkish Grand National Assembly after 12 hours of deliberations. The implementation of the law is tied to the confirmation of the organization's dissolution and disarmament process, and two separate committees will monitor the process. Those wishing to benefit from the regulation will be granted a 6-month application period, and in certain crimes, a path will be opened for sentence suspension and release. While intentional homicide offenses are excluded from the scope, Abdullah Öcalan will also be unable to benefit from the regulation.
The bill on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration, which forms the legal basis for the steps known publicly as the "Terror-Free Turkey" process, was accepted and became law after lengthy deliberations in the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.
12-HOUR SESSION The framework bill, which came to the General Assembly agenda after the Justice Committee stage, was put to a vote after an intense parliamentary session lasting approximately twelve hours. In the vote, the bill passed with 467 "accept" votes, 87 "reject" votes, and 7 "abstention" votes. During the voting, two votes were recorded as duplicate. With this result, a new legal era in Turkey's counter-terrorism and social integration strategy has officially begun.
THE LAW HAS PRECONDITIONS Very clear preconditions have been set for the enacted regulation to be implemented. For the implementation to begin, it must first be definitively determined and confirmed by security institutions that the terrorist organization has ceased to exist and has handed over all its weapons. Following this confirmation, the process will effectively become operational with the publication in the Official Gazette of the decision to be taken by the National Security Council regarding the dissolution of the organization.
NEW MECHANISMS TO BE ESTABLISHED Two critical committees will be established to ensure the smooth execution of the process. The first of these will convene under the chairmanship of Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and will closely monitor the disarmament and dissolution phases. In addition to the Ministers of Justice, Interior, Foreign Affairs, and National Defense, the Secretary General of the Presidency, the Secretary General of the NSC, and the Head of the MIT will also serve on this high-level committee. The second mechanism will be established under the roof of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey under the name "Monitoring and Liaison Committee" and will consist of representatives of political parties.
6-MONTH APPLICATION PERIOD With the publication of the National Security Council decision in the Official Gazette, a six-month application period will be granted to those who wish to benefit from the law. The regulation generally covers activities such as establishing, managing, being a member of, aiding and abetting, and propaganda for an organization. In the legal process, a postponement mechanism will be applied for crimes requiring more than 15 years of imprisonment for 10 years, and for sentences of 15 years or less for 5 years. During this postponement period, existing investigations will be halted, cases will be suspended, and individuals in prison will be released. However, if a new terrorist crime is committed during this release period, the postponement decision will be immediately lifted, and the execution of the sentence will continue. Additionally, individuals who are released or granted a sentence postponement under the regulation will be subject to a political ban for periods ranging from two to three years.
NEXT STEPS While drawing the boundaries of the law, some sensitive exceptions were also subject to rules. Intentional homicide crimes committed within the scope of organization activities, as well as crimes committed before June 1, 2005, that require life imprisonment or aggravated life imprisonment, were completely excluded from this regulation. Pursuant to this article, the path for terrorist organization leader Abdullah Öcalan to benefit from the opportunities provided by the law has been definitively closed. On the other hand, all public personnel who will take part in the implementation phase of the law will be provided with legal assurance and exempted from criminal liability. If the process succeeds as planned and the terrorist threat is permanently eliminated, it is planned to move to a new phase. In line with the observation reports to be prepared by the responsible committees, new harmonization steps in fundamental laws such as the Criminal Execution Law, the Anti-Terror Law, the Turkish Penal Code, and the Political Parties Law will come to the agenda in the coming period.
NEXT PROCESS IN 5 STEPS Within the scope of the regulation that passed through the General Assembly and became law, applicants will face a comprehensive five-stage legal procedure. The steps of this process, which includes disarmament and legal integration, have been shaped in all details in the text of the law.
APPLICATION, REGISTRATION, AND REMOVAL OF MEASURES The first stage of the process consists of application and registration procedures. In this step, all kinds of weapons, ammunition, vehicles, equipment, and explosives brought or declared by organization members within the scope of the law will be recorded and delivered to state units. Individuals eligible to benefit from the regulation will need to complete the written application process within six months from the publication of the National Security Council decision in the Official Gazette.
With the completion of the application stage, the step of removing protection measures and file review will begin. Protection measures such as arrest and judicial control previously imposed for crimes within the scope of postponement will be evaluated and revoked by the authorized judgeship, court, or relevant chamber of the Court of Cassation, depending on the stage of the case. For files under appeal or cassation review, a direct reversal decision will be issued.
POSTPONEMENT DECISIONS AND SPECIAL SYSTEM RECORD In the third stage, the postponement decision, which is the most critical point of the judicial process, and special registration procedures will come into play. The individual's case or conviction will be postponed according to the severity of the crime committed. For crimes requiring a sentence of fifteen years or less, the postponement period is set at five years; for sentences of more than fifteen years, life imprisonment, or aggravated life imprisonment, this period will be applied as ten years. These postponement decisions will be recorded in a special system established solely for this purpose, and the statute of limitations for the case will not run during the postponement period.
SUPERVISION PROCESS AND END OF DISQUALIFICATIONS The fourth step of the legal procedure covers the supervision process. During the postponement period, it will be an absolute requirement that the individual does not commit a new terrorist crime. If a new terrorist crime is committed during this period, the postponement decision will be immediately lifted, and the trial or execution will continue from where it left off. However, if the process is completed without any crime, a decision of no grounds for prosecution will be issued for those under investigation; for convicts, the sentence will be considered fully executed.
In the fifth and final stage, the removal of disqualifications, which will ensure the full integration of individuals into civilian life, will come to the agenda.
After the decision to defer is made, the relevant Board will become involved after at least two years have passed for five-year deferrals, and at least three years for ten-year deferrals. Upon the Board's request to the authorized criminal judgeship of peace or execution judgeship, all deprivations of rights arising from the individual's investigation, prosecution, or conviction will be completely eliminated with their legal consequences. .