MHP official: Legal reforms coming in anti-terror bid

ANKARA

A Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy leader has said a parliamentary commission overseeing the government’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative will soon present legislative amendments aimed at bolstering the country’s peace bid.

"There is undoubtedly a need for some amendments, particularly in the execution legislation, the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Turkish Penal Code, and the Anti-Terror Law," Feti Yıldız said on Sept. 20 in a social media post.

The National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission has held 11 meetings so far, hearing testimony from ministers, intelligence officials, bar associations, relatives of fallen soldiers, labor unions, business groups, nongovernmental organizations and academics.

Lawmakers are expected to draft formal reform proposals once consultations conclude.

Yıldız said the reforms are intended to repair the “human, social and psychological destruction caused by terrorism.” He also stressed that a “multilayered and deterrent foreign policy,” combined with the domestic peace process, could enable Türkiye to serve as a constructive model for the wider region.

“The climate of peace built domestically must be protected against external shocks,” Yıldız said. “Ultimate success is possible with social consent, a sense of justice and a shared vision for the future.”

The commission has been tasked with examining the legal, social and political aspects of the anti-terror campaign. As part of the initiative, PKK declared a ceasefire and later announced plans to disarm and dissolve following a call from its jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan.

The panel is also reportedly weighing whether to send a delegation to the İmralı prison island off Istanbul to meet with Öcalan, a move supported by the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party).