Turkey

Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) representatives including Pervin Buldan (center left) and Sirri Sureyya Onder (center right). Photo: AA
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two pro-Kurdish lawmakers are set to visit Turkey’s Imrali island prison on Wednesday for the second time to meet with jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan.
In a statement, the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) said their delegation, consisting of lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Sirri Sureyya Onder, “will go to Imrali island again today and meet with Mr. Abdullah Ocalan.”
DEM Party has started mediating talks between the Turkish state and the PKK after visiting Ocalan last month. The pro-Kurdish party has said that its meetings with politicians from across the spectrum in Turkey about Turkish-Kurdish peace talks have been generally positive.
No additional details of Wednesday’s expected meeting were provided.
The renewed efforts at a peace process are aimed at ending decades of conflict between Turkey and the PKK.
On Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the PKK to lay down arms and make its “political wing” act like a “genuine Turkish party,” referring to the DEM Party.
Turkish officials claim that the DEM Party is the political wing of the PKK - an accusation the party routinely denies.
Last week, Turkey’s far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said that the PKK must be dissolved “without any conditions.”
Bahceli kickstarted this process last year when he proposed inviting Ocalan to address the parliament and announce the dissolution of the PKK.
Founded in 1978, the PKK initially called for the establishment of an independent Kurdistan but now calls for autonomy. The group is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey.
In a statement, the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) said their delegation, consisting of lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Sirri Sureyya Onder, “will go to Imrali island again today and meet with Mr. Abdullah Ocalan.”
DEM Party has started mediating talks between the Turkish state and the PKK after visiting Ocalan last month. The pro-Kurdish party has said that its meetings with politicians from across the spectrum in Turkey about Turkish-Kurdish peace talks have been generally positive.
No additional details of Wednesday’s expected meeting were provided.
The renewed efforts at a peace process are aimed at ending decades of conflict between Turkey and the PKK.
On Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the PKK to lay down arms and make its “political wing” act like a “genuine Turkish party,” referring to the DEM Party.
Turkish officials claim that the DEM Party is the political wing of the PKK - an accusation the party routinely denies.
Last week, Turkey’s far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said that the PKK must be dissolved “without any conditions.”
Bahceli kickstarted this process last year when he proposed inviting Ocalan to address the parliament and announce the dissolution of the PKK.
Founded in 1978, the PKK initially called for the establishment of an independent Kurdistan but now calls for autonomy. The group is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey.
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