Ankara: The rationale accompanying Trkiye's proposed Bill on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion, which is currently before parliament, states that the legislation is not an amnesty and does not eliminate criminal convictions, alter the legal nature of offenses, or end criminal liability.
According to Anadolu Agency, the explanatory memorandum, submitted alongside the bill to parliament as part of the government's "Terror-Free Trkiye" initiative, emphasized that ongoing investigations, prosecutions, and finalized convictions would remain fully in force. It described the proposal as a "limited and conditional" legal arrangement concerning the criminal justice and penal system.
The rationale outlined that the bill aims to strengthen public security and social integration while supporting the reintegration of eligible individuals into society under specified conditions. It seeks to consolidate gains made in the process through improvements to the criminal justice system rather than changes to criminal responsibility. The proposal does not abolish criminal convictions, change the legal character of crimes, or terminate criminal liability. Instead, it constitutes a limited and conditional statutory arrangement concerning the criminal justice and penal system.
Further legislative changes may be introduced as the process evolves. The document noted that parliament may introduce additional legislative amendments or new legal regulations in line with emerging needs, accumulated experience, and changing conditions. It represents the first legislative step of the legal framework envisaged under the "Terror-Free Trkiye" process and was prepared in line with the recommendations of parliament's National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission.
The memorandum highlighted that the initiative was developed after examining international experiences while drawing on Trkiye's own four decades of counterterrorism experience, describing the approach as a distinct "Trkiye model." The broader process, launched with the dissolution of the terrorist group PKK and the laying down of arms, will ultimately be completed through legislation enacted by parliament.