Peregraf
Two pro-Kurdish lawmakers, Sirri Sureyya Onder and Pervin Buldan, made a rare visit to Türkiye's Imrali prison on Saturday to meet Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The meeting was facilitated following an official request by the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) in November. However, details surrounding the visit remain unclear.
"The timing, duration, agenda of the meeting, and whether there will be any statements afterward are entirely under the initiative of the authorities," the DEM Party said in a statement to reporters. The party also noted uncertainty about whether Onder and Buldan would return via the same route or issue a public briefing.
This visit marks a significant moment as Onder and Buldan previously met Ocalan in 2014 during a peace process between Ankara and the PKK. That effort ultimately collapsed, leading to years of heightened tensions and conflict.
Ocalan has been imprisoned on Imrali Island since 1999, with minimal contact with the outside world. His last family visit occurred in October when his nephew, DEM Party lawmaker Omer Ocalan, met him face-to-face for the first time since March 2020. During the meeting, the PKK leader reportedly assured he was in "good health" and conveyed "greetings to everyone."
The last known communication with Ocalan came in March 2021 when his elder brother, Mehmet Ocalan, spoke to him briefly by phone. Repeated requests by lawyers and family members for further contact have since been denied.
In a surprising political development, the Turkish government recently shifted its hardline stance toward Ocalan. This followed a proposal by Devlet Bahceli, leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and ally of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Bahceli suggested Ocalan address the Turkish parliament to announce the PKK’s dissolution.
The PKK, founded in 1978, originally sought an independent Kurdish state but now advocates for autonomy. The group remains designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, US and EU.
The DEM Party, the successor to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), was instrumental in negotiating peace talks with Ocalan a decade ago, a period many recall as a fleeting but hopeful chapter in Türkiye's modern history.