Turkish lawmakers have passed legislation offering conditional pardons to thousands of members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a significant move towards ending decades of violent conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives. The bill, which was approved on Monday with a vote of 468 in favor, 88 against, and six abstentions, suspends prosecutions and prison sentences for certain offenses for between five and ten years. This legislation is Turkey's first step towards resolving the conflict, initiated 18 months ago when Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK's jailed founder, urged his followers to disarm. The PKK, labeled a "terrorist" organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, began its insurgency in 1984. The conflict has had severe economic repercussions on mainly Kurdish southeastern Turkey, exacerbating political and social division for decades. This legislation is expected to result in the release of around 3,500 PKK-linked detainees in an initial phase, according to lawmakers, approximately a third of those currently imprisoned in Turkish prisons. The bill was backed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party.