Turkey’s PKK peace commission will meet Tuesday

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The first meeting of Turkey’s newly formed parliamentary commission established to provide legal and political frameworks for the disarmament of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) will take place on Tuesday, state media reported on Friday.

Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus invited the 51 members of the commission to attend the inaugural meeting where they will make decisions about how the commission will operate, according to Anadolu Agency.

The commission was established as part of peace negotiations between the Turkish government and the PKK. It includes members from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), the AKP’s governing ally the ultranationalist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) whose leader Devlet Bahceli last year launched the peace process by calling on jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan to announce his group’s dissolution, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) that has been mediating the peace talks, and several other smaller parties, including Kurdish ones.

As part of the peace process, the PKK held a disarmament ceremony in Sulaimani province on July 11, when 30 members and commanders burned their weapons. The group decided to lay down arms after Ocalan urged them to pursue a political solution to obtain rights for Kurds in Turkey instead of armed conflict.

Some PKK fighters based in Duhok province told Rudaw in July that they fear reprisals if they return to Turkey. Many are opting to remain in the mountains.

Cemil Bayik, co-chair of the executive council of PKK umbrella group the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), in July said they will not commit to further disarmament until Turkey makes legal reforms to address discrimination of its Kurdish population, and if Ankara fails to take action, then other groups will emerge and pick up the fight.

A DEM Party delegation last week met with Ocalan, who said he hopes the parliamentary commission will make important contributions to the peace process.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has praised Ocalan, saying he “has provided and continues to provide all kinds of support on this issue.”