, as part of ongoing efforts for peace between Ankara and the Kurdish militants.){kind=link}
Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) is preparing for a visit to İmralı Island to meet with Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), as part of ongoing efforts for peace between Ankara and the Kurdish militants, the Mezopotamya news agency reported on Wednesday.
DEM Party spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan announced Wednesday that the visit would include members of the party’s leadership but did not specify the date.
Öcalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999, has long been a central figure in the conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK, which has fought for Kurdish rights since the 1980s.
This visit comes as part of a broader peace process, renewed after years of conflict, following the collapse of a previous ceasefire in 2015.
The Turkish government, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been engaged in negotiations with the PKK in recent months, with efforts to bring an end to the decades-long insurgency. The DEM Party has been an important advocate for including broader Kurdish political perspectives in the peace process, pushing for political and cultural reforms for the Kurdish population.
In a landmark announcement, the PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, said on May 12 that it was laying down its arms and disbanding as a result of ongoing peace talks with the group’s jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan.
The PKK’s decision followed an appeal from Öcalan, urging the militants to disarm, in February.
The DEM Party’s Doğan emphasized that a parliamentary commission should be established to oversee the ongoing peace talks, calling on Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş to gather political parties for a meeting to discuss the matter before parliament’s summer recess.
The DEM Party has been engaging with both the ruling AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) as well as opposition parties, stressing the need for a transparent and inclusive approach to the peace process. Doğan underlined that this issue should be seen as a national concern, not just a Kurdish issue, and needs the involvement of all political parties to find a lasting solution.
According to Doğan, Öcalan has expressed interest in meeting with key Kurdish leaders, including figures from Iraq and Syria, such as Mesut Barzani and Mazloum Abdi, to discuss his vision for peace. This would involve not only Turkish Kurds but also broader regional stakeholders.
The DEM Party also highlighted a new document released by Öcalan, which lays out a political program aimed at resolving the Kurdish issue. This document invites public discussion, signaling a move toward greater engagement with civil society and political actors from all backgrounds.
Doğan emphasized the importance of dialogue and direct communication between all sides, arguing that a successful resolution to Turkey’s Kurdish issue requires active participation from everyone involved.