Democratic Progress Institute (DPI), held the third meeting on DDR titled “Legal Dialogue for Sustainable Peace: Discussion on a Standalone Act and Existing Legislation for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR)” in Van on 11 July 2026, built on the discussions from the first meeting and marked the most technically advanced stage of the process. The Van meeting provided a more focused platform to examine the legal principles, institutional responsibilities and legislative preparations that may be required to support a sustainable DDR process.
It brought together senior legal practitioners from across Türkiye, academics and political party representatives, alongside the broad participation of Bar Association Presidents from the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions, in order to ensure that regional perspectives and practical, on-the-ground legal concerns are integrated into national discussions. Political participants included representatives from the AK Party, CHP, DEM Party, Felicity Party, Future Party and DEVA Party. Several of these figures serve on the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, with others contributing direct expertise in parliamentary justice mechanisms.
The sessions were moderated by Prof. Dr. Sevtap Yokuş, Ms. Kezban Hatemi, and Prof. Dr. Vahap Coşkun. They were facilitated by Mr. Simon Yazgi, a peace and security practitioner with over two decades of international experience within the United Nations system and in conflict-affected contexts such as Colombia, the Philippines and Sudan. Mr. Yazgi drew upon comparative international experiences in DDR processes, contextualising these lessons within Türkiye’s unique sociopolitical landscape.
Participants highlighted the critical role of law in Türkiye’s unique process to build lasting peace. They offered several recommendations, most notably stressing that enacting a comprehensive legal framework and ensuring strict adherence to universal human rights standards are indispensable pillars for sustainable peacebuilding and highlighting the need for the legislation to use inclusive language to better foster social cohesion. Before the anticipated legal framework is submitted to Parliament, the roundtable successfully strengthened stakeholders’ dialogue and ensured that concrete recommendations were conveyed to key actors, policymakers and other relevant stakeholders.
