Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he is pleased to see steps taken in neighbouring Syria to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into state structures, after a US-backed ceasefire deal late last month between the sides.
In a readout on Wednesday of his comments to reporters on a return flight from Ethiopia, Erdogan was cited as saying Ankara is closely monitoring the Syrian integration steps and providing guidance on implementing the agreement.
Meanwhile, a Turkish parliamentary commission voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to approve a report envisaging legal reforms alongside the militant Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK) disarmament, advancing a peace process meant to end decades of conflict.
The PKK - designated a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and European Union - halted attacks last year and said it would disarm and disband, calling on Ankara to take steps to let its members participate in politics.
The roughly 60-page report proposes a roadmap for the parliament to enact laws, including a conditional legal framework that urges the judiciary to review legislation and comply with European Court of Human Rights and Constitutional Court rulings.
The pro-Kurdish DEM Party, which has been closely involved in the process and held several meetings with PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in prison, objected to the report's presentation of the Kurdish issue as a terrorism problem but generally welcomed the report and called for rapid implementation.
“We believe legal regulations must be enacted quickly,” senior DEM lawmaker Gulistan Kilic Kocyigit told Reuters. Parts of the report offered “a very important roadmap for the advancement of this process," she said.
Erdogan signaled that the legislative process would begin straight away. “Now, discussions will begin in our parliament regarding the legal aspects of the process,” he said.
