In a historic move towards ending decades of violence, Turkish lawmakers have approved legislation offering conditional pardons to thousands of members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The bill, which passed on Monday with a majority vote, envisions a return to civilian life for some PKK fighters who lay down their weapons, without granting a total amnesty. This is Turkey's first legislative step towards ending the conflict, coming 18 months after Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK's jailed founder, urged his followers to disarm. The PKK, designated a "terrorist" organisation by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has been engaged in rebellion since 1984. The conflict has claimed over 40,000 lives, imposed a heavy economic burden on mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey, and fueled decades of political and social division. Backed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, the bill suspends prosecutions and prison sentences for some offences for between five and ten years. This move is expected to result in the release of around 3,500 PKK-linked detainees in an initial phase, lawmakers said – about a third of those held in Turkish prisons. The legislation comes as a significant step towards peace, offering hope for an end to the longstanding conflict and potential reconciliation between the Turkish government and Kurdish separatists.