The undersigned organisations urge the European Union (EU) to move beyond passive observation to actively support the development of a transparent, inclusive and rights-based peace process in Türkiye. This follows the recent publication of the report adopted by the Commission on National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy (The Commission). The Commission is a cross-party parliamentary body with 50 Members of Parliament established by the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
The conflict that has been ongoing in the country for over forty years, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, large-scale displacement, and deep social and political divisions in the society in Türkiye. Previous peace initiatives have failed to produce a lasting settlement. However, recent developments now offer a chance to pursue a democratic resolution. These events include a symbolic disarmament ceremony by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the establishment of the Commission, signalling a potential shift away from armed struggle towards democratic politics and legal means.
The Commission’s mandate was to assess the conditions necessary for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and to develop recommendations for the Turkish legislature and executive authorities. On 18 February 2026,The Commission published its final report, concluding its mandate, with the possible endorsement of its recommendations by the General Assembly at a later stage. We, the undersigned organisations, recognise this report as an important first step for peace. It brings the issue into a parliamentary framework, acknowledges the need for legal and democratic reforms alongside the PKK’s disbandment, and sparks a public debate on moving beyond decades of armed conflict. We therefore call on the EU to encourage Türkiye to implement the Commission’s recommendations.
At the same time,we recognise that a sustainable peace requires a reversal of the systemic democratic backsliding that has defined Türkiye’s recent history. We stress that a lasting peace is impossible without addressing the abusive anti-terror laws and their arbitrary and discriminatory application against political actors and human rights defenders. The peace process cannot be credible while criminal law is systematically abused to unseat and imprison elected representatives and silence political dissent. Furthermore, the continuing violations of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly prevent the very societal dialogue that the Commission claims to promote. The report’s implementation should address the critical gaps identified by civil society organisations (CSOs) and translate into a formal, transparent, and rights-based peace process grounded in a clear legal framework.
However, CSOs had limited opportunities to contribute to the report, which prevented it from reflecting the input of all relevant stakeholders. The report’s framework focuses on PKK’s disbandment and disarmament but does not address root causes of the conflict such as equal constitutional citizenship, cultural and social rights, education in the mother tongue, and stronger local governance.
A comprehensive transitional justice plan would include specific institutional and legislative reforms, plans for reparations, establishing truth and memory initiatives, community building, accountability, redress, and prevention frameworks.
By making verification of the disarmament process dependent on Türkiye’s state security forces, the report risks significantly undermining peace efforts. Since these forces are themselves a party to the conflict, giving them authority to confirm whether disarmament has taken place may erode trust in the process and reinforce perceptions of bias. While the report states that the issue should no longer be treated solely as a security matter, its continued reliance on a “terror” framework limits the prospects for a genuinely democratic and legislative resolution to the conflict. Additionally, it is a critical shortcoming of the report that the right to hope for political prisoners is not included within the recommendations, a failure that stands in direct contradiction to the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers’ repeated calls for Türkiye to reform its aggravated life imprisonment regime in line with the European Court for Human Rights case law.
Recalling Türkiye’s obligations as a candidate country and the EU’s own commitment to a “phased, proportionate and reversible” approach to re-engagement, we stress that any advancement in bilateral relations must be strictly contingent on measurable human rights progress. Thus, in order to actively support the Peace Process in Türkiye in line with the EU’s Policy Framework on Support to Transitional Justice, we call on the EU and its Member States to:
- Promote the establishment of an institutional transitional justice framework in Türkiye, including the creation of an independent truth and memory commission, the opening of relevant state archives, the development of victim-centred reparations schemes and parliamentary oversight mechanisms addressing past human rights violations;
- Support the meaningful participation of local civil society organisations in the peace process through dedicated funding and capacity-building programmes;
- Advocate for the establishment of an independent oversight mechanism for the implementation of the PKK’s disbandment process, operating within clearly defined timelines and involving representatives of affected communities and relevant stakeholders;
- Call on Turkish authorities to implement structured societal dialogue initiatives accompanying the peace process, including local dialogue forums and participatory platforms involving affected communities;
- Integrate developments related to the peace process into EU monitoring frameworks concerning Türkiye, including rule of law and enlargement reporting processes.
Signatories:
- Peace Foundation for an Equal, Free and Democratic Future (Peace Foundation)
- Hak İnisiyatifi Derneği (Right Initiative Association)
- Foundation For Society and Legal Studies (TOHAV)
- Rosa Women Association
- İnsan Hakları Derneği (IHD)
- Truth Justice Memory Center
- Citizens Assembly
- Association for Monitoring Equal Rights (ESHID)
- Human Rights Agenda Association