Turkey’s parliament has passed a law enabling Kurdish militants to return home under a peace process to end their decades-old insurgency. The legislation establishes a framework for the disbandment of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and paves the way for the return and reintegration of militants from hideouts in northern Iraq.

Hope for Mothers, Anguish for Veterans

Mothers of PKK recruits are waiting in hope for their sons to return home. Ayten Elhaman, whose son Bayram joined the PKK nine years ago, said, “My son, if you can hear me, come home. There is peace now. What is this war for anymore? Let no more children die.” However, military veterans and families of security personnel killed fighting the PKK have voiced anger at the prospect of reintegrating former militants into society.

Ibrahim Colakoglu, a veteran who was wounded in clashes with the PKK, questioned the sacrifices made by Turkish soldiers who had battled the group. “If they were going to pass that law, why did I go to the mountains? Why did they send us there?”

A Difficult Process

Aydin Erdem, general manager of Istanbul-based KONDA Research and Consultancy, said that convincing society that peace is coming will be a difficult process. “It is hard for society to digest because all of those PKK members have been called terrorists for the last three decades,” he said.

The new law does not deal with broader Kurdish demands for expanded political and cultural rights, changes to anti-terrorism legislation, or the status of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. Hatice Yasar, whose two sons joined the PKK and never returned, welcomed the prospect of peace but was distrustful. “We want peace this minute, but it must be an honourable peace,” she said.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.