TURKEY’S parliament has approved legislation that would give a conditional pardon to thousands of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) members in a bid to advance the government’s peace initiative with the insurgent group. The measure would only come into effect after Turkish authorities have verified that the PKK has fully disarmed. This followed a call from imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. The legislation would suspend some prison sentences for convicted PKK members and postpone ongoing investigations and trials against others for five or 10 years, depending on the severity of the alleged offences. Dem legislator Gulistan Kilic Kocyigit told the parliament: “The people of Turkey, who have paid a heavy price for many years, now have an opportunity to consolidate peace and build democracy.”