Turkey’s pro-Kurd party expects a significant announcement from PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan during a scheduled meeting. This meeting is part of ongoing efforts to reconcile the PKK’s insurgency with the Turkish state. The delegation hopes for a peace appeal, potentially communicated via video. However, the Ministry of Justice has not yet confirmed this format for the announcement.
Turkey’s primary pro-Kurdish party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), has announced that it anticipates a momentous declaration from Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK). Scheduled for a visit on Thursday, the delegation will meet Ocalan on Imrali Island, as part of the ongoing efforts to address the longstanding conflict between the PKK and the Turkish government.
This meeting will be the third delegation visit in recent months, coinciding with Ankara’s initiatives to improve relations with the PKK, which has been engaged in an armed struggle against the Turkish state since 1984, resulting in considerable loss of life. “If everything goes smoothly, tomorrow, we expect Ocalan to make a historic declaration,” stated the HDP, whose attempt to visit Ocalan received the green light from the Ministry of Justice.
The delegation, comprising seven members including Ocalan’s lawyer, Faik Ozgur Erol, hopes that Ocalan will express his anticipated peace plea through a video message. However, Turkish media indicates that the Ministry of Justice has not yet consented to this request. Abdullah Ocalan, now 75 years old, has been serving a life sentence on Imrali Island since his arrest in 1999.
The recent dialogues with Ocalan, encouraged by the ultra-nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli, a close associate of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have heightened expectations that he may appeal to PKK militants to cease hostilities. Reports suggest that Ocalan’s message could be conveyed through PKK leaders based in northern Turkey, although the comprehensive nature of his anticipated declaration remains unclear.
The visiting delegation includes notable figures such as HDP co-chairs Tulay Hatimogullari and Tuncer Bakirhan, alongside veteran Kurdish politician Ahmet Turk, who has long participated in talks surrounding the Kurdish issue. Furthermore, Deputy Speaker Sirri Sureyya Onder and lawmaker Pervin Buldan, who were part of prior delegations, will also attend this meeting, emphasizing their commitment to resolving ongoing tensions as the conflict has taken a heavy toll on both sides.
In summary, Turkey’s pro-Kurd party is poised for a significant declaration from imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, as a delegation prepares to meet him for the third time. The anticipated statement is part of broader efforts to bridge the divide between the Turkish government and the PKK, with hopes that Ocalan will call for peace and the cessation of conflict. The evolving landscape of these discussions highlights the possibility of renewed dialogue aimed at resolving longstanding Kurdish grievances.
Original Source: www.france24.com
