What are next steps following publication of framework law in Turkey?

The framework law on “Strengthening National Unity and Social Integration,” consisting of 12 articles, was approved by a majority of 467 votes in the General Assembly of the Turkish Parliament, thereby becoming an enforceable law.

The law was published in the Official Gazette at midnight on Monday at 00:00, after being signed by the President of the Republic of Turkey. With its publication in the Official Gazette, the process entered a new phase.

From now on, attention will focus on how the disarmament process will be carried out, how the resolution process will be managed, and how the mechanisms stipulated by the law for managing and overseeing this process will be formed and activated.

The law does not stipulate that all measures be implemented at once. Rather, it establishes a legal framework for a process that is expected to pass through several stages involving disarmament, monitoring mechanisms, coordination among state institutions, and subsequent political and legal measures.

What has happened so far?

The first step has already been completed: the Turkish Parliament approved the law, which was then signed and officially published. Thus, the authorities in Turkey now have a legal framework on which to base the management of the next phase, instead of the Peace and Democratic Society Process remaining confined to political understandings and statements.

Who will manage the next phase?

The next step began immediately with the formation of a government body tasked with overseeing the implementation of the law on Tuesday, August 18. Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz announced the formation of a body chaired by him to monitor the implementation of the law and coordinate among state institutions.

The body includes the ministers of Justice, Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Defense, in addition to the Secretary-General of the Presidency, the Secretary-General of the National Security Council, and the head of the National Intelligence Organization, Ibrahim Kalın, bringing the total number of members to eight.

The body is scheduled to hold its first meeting on August 24, when it will discuss its working mechanism and the steps that need to be taken, including the possibility of forming specialized subcommittees.

This body will serve as the government’s coordination center for the process, monitoring the work of various institutions and coordinating among them.

Does disarmament begin immediately?

Disarmament is not necessarily immediate. This is one of the most important points to understand at the current stage, because the publication of the law does not mean that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) disarmament process or the dismantling of its organizational structure will automatically begin the following day. According to Turkish politicians and observers, the law links the start of its implementation to another procedure: verifying the situation on the ground.

The Turkish National Intelligence Organization is expected to prepare a report containing the results of the verification and confirmation process, after which the report will be submitted to the National Security Council.

What will the National Security Council do?

The National Security Council will be one of the key stages before the practical implementation of the law begins. According to the mechanism stipulated in the law, the Council will review the intelligence service’s report concerning verification and confirmation, and then issue a position or statement regarding it. Once this step is completed, the law will move into the actual implementation phase.

The authorities have not yet set a final date for this stage. However, current estimates indicate that the initial procedures could take approximately 45 days to two months, with October expected to be an important date in this process.

What will happen inside Parliament?

The Turkish government will not be solely responsible for overseeing the process. The law also provides for the formation of a monitoring body within the Turkish Parliament, chaired by Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and including representatives of the political parties represented in Parliament. Its task will be to monitor the implementation of the law, follow developments, and submit proposals.

The body is expected to consist of 17 members, with the possibility of forming subcommittees and hearing from civil society institutions, organizations, and relevant parties. The government body chaired by Cevdet Yılmaz will also brief the parliamentary body on the progress of the process.

What is Leader Abdullah Ocalan’s role at this stage?

Leader Abdullah Ocalan’s role comes within the political aspect of the process, rather than as a member of the government bodies stipulated by the law.

Sources familiar with the process have spoken of the possibility of him playing a role in coordinating the political side of the process, with the description “Coordinator of Peace and Politics” being proposed for his potential role.

In this context, a delegation from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), consisting of Pervin Buldan, Mithat Sancar, and lawyer Faik Özgür Erol, is expected to visit İmralı Island to meet with the Leader.

The meetings are expected to address the new phase following the approval of the law, the steps that will follow its publication, the mechanisms for forming the relevant bodies, as well as the role he may play in the next phase.

Informed sources have also spoken of the possibility of Leader Abdullah Ocalan holding subsequent meetings with journalists and academics, provided the necessary conditions are established.

What is the overall picture now?

The next phase can be summarized as follows: “Approval of the law, its signing and publication, formation of the government body, followed by its first meeting on August 24, formation of committees and working mechanisms, preparation of the intelligence report, submission of the report to the National Security Council, the Council’s decision regarding implementation, and then the commencement of the measures stipulated by the law.”

In parallel, a monitoring body will be formed within Parliament to oversee implementation, while the political track involving Leader Abdullah Ocalan and the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party will continue.

The nature of the measures to be taken on the ground, the extent to which the parties adhere to them, and the timetable remain among the key issues that will determine the course of the process over the coming weeks and months.

ANHA