Erdoğan ties peace process framework law to disarmament, floats Shengal handover to Baghdad

Rastinews — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took questions from reporters aboard his plane on the return leg of a trip to the United States. He said the New Peace Process was moving forward under the oversight of relevant institutions and that he expected results soon.

Erdoğan said parliament had put the legal framework in place and that the necessary mechanisms had been established. He added that the process was being tracked in line with developments on the ground.

Disarmament as a precondition

According to Erdoğan, the framework law cannot be implemented until disarmament and the "dissolution" process are finished first.

He said both the People's Alliance and the state remained firm on this point.

"Iraqi government authority will prevail in Shengal"

Erdoğan said talks were underway with Iraqi authorities to hand control of Shengal to the Iraqi government.

He said the transfer of Başika had also come up in the talks. Beyond security matters, he said, Turkey wants Turkish-Iraqi relations to focus more heavily on the Development Road project, trade, stability and prosperity.

The process began with Bahçeli's call

The process traces back to a call made by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli in parliament in October 2024. Abdullah Öcalan called on the PKK to disarm and dissolve on February 27, 2025, and the PKK announced its dissolution in May 2025. Parliament set up a commission in August 2025 to lay the legal groundwork for the process.

Baghdad and Erbil signed an agreement in October 2020 to restructure administration and security in Shengal. It has never been fully implemented. The Turkish military base at Başika has long been a point of contention between Baghdad and Ankara.