DEM Party names MPs to 'terror-free Türkiye' commission

ANKARA

The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) on July 28 selected four lawmakers to join a new parliamentary commission tasked with overseeing the government's "terror-free Türkiye" initiative.

MPs Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Meral Danış Beştaş, Saruhan Oluç and Cengiz Çiçek will represent the DEM Party on the 51-member commission.

As part of the anti-terror campaign, PKK declared a ceasefire and later announced its decision to disband and disarm in line with a call by its jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan.

Earlier this month, 30 PKK members burned their weapons during a symbolic ceremony in northern Iraq. PKK is designated a terrorist group by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union.

The parliamentary commission was first proposed by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli to monitor the disarmament process.

The body was set to include 21 lawmakers from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), 10 from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), four each from the DEM Party and MHP and three each from the İYİ (Good) Party and the New Path Party.

Parties without a parliamentary group will also be represented by one MP each.

The İYİ Party previously said it would not appoint a member to the commission. The MHP was the first to submit its delegation, naming MPs Feti Yıldız, Levent Bülbül, Halil Öztürk and Yücel Bulut.

The DEM Party has acted as a mediator between Öcalan and Ankara, providing political updates on the process. The initiative gained momentum after party delegations were allowed to visit Öcalan on the İmralı prison island off Istanbul.

That access followed a public call by Bahçeli in parliament urging Öcalan to renounce terrorism, a call later supported by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.