The Turkish parliament has passed legislation offering a conditional pardon to thousands of members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), marking a significant step toward ending decades of deadly conflict.

The bill, approved on Monday with 468 votes in favor, 88 against, and 6 abstentions, provides a pathway for some PKK fighters who lay down their arms to return to civilian life, though it stops short of a full amnesty.

This is Turkey's first legislative move toward resolving the conflict, coming 18 months after Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK's jailed founder, urged his followers to disarm. The legislation is backed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party.

The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, launched its insurgency in 1984. The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, imposed a heavy economic burden on the predominantly Kurdish southeast, and fueled decades of political and social division.

The law suspends prosecutions and prison sentences for certain offenses for between five and ten years. Lawmakers said the initial phase is expected to involve the release of around 3,500 PKK-linked detainees, roughly a third of those held in Turkish prisons.

While the move is seen as a potential breakthrough, analysts caution that the full implementation and long-term impact remain uncertain, as the PKK has yet to formally respond to the legislation.

Source: www.aljazeera.com