Pro-Kurdish DEM lawmakers to meet Öcalan amid peace speculations

Pro-Kurdish DEM party lawmakers are set to meet Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), for the third time this Thursday. 

According to the DEM, the meeting could lead to an official call for disarmament by Öcalan, a move that may signal a turning point in the long-standing Kurdish conflict in Turkey.

The lawmakers will travel to Imrali prison island, off the coast of Istanbul, where Öcalan has been held in solitary confinement since his 1999 arrest in Kenya. This visit follows two previous meetings in December and January as part of ongoing efforts to negotiate a resolution to the Kurdish issue.

After the meeting, the seven-member delegation, which includes Öcalan’s lawyer, Faik Özgür Erol, is expected to hold a press conference in Istanbul at 5:00 PM local time (2:00 PM GMT) to disclose the outcome of the discussions.

The DEM party has urged authorities to allow Öcalan’s call for disarmament to be made via a video message, rather than a written statement. However, Turkey’s Ministry of Justice has so far rejected this request, according to Turkish media reports.

The scope and significance of Öcalan’s potential peace call remain uncertain, as do the concessions that may be sought in return, particularly regarding Kurdish minority rights and the possibility of Öcalan’s sentence being reduced.

Additionally, PKK leaders stationed in the northern Iraqi mountains could issue a corresponding statement following Öcalan’s message, Turkish media has suggested.

A Surprising Initiative Backed by Ultranationalists

This dialogue with Öcalan was initiated last autumn by Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and a key ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The involvement of the MHP—historically one of the most staunchly anti-Kurdish parties—has raised eyebrows, signaling a strategic shift in Turkey’s political landscape.

As part of these ongoing discussions, pro-Kurdish representatives also traveled to northern Iraq in mid-February, where they met with officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in what appears to be a broader regional mediation effort.

Founded in 1978, the PKK adopted an armed insurgency strategy in 1984 to seek an independent Kurdish state. The conflict has claimed over 40,000 lives over the past four decades, making it one of the most significant security challenges in Turkey and the region. The PKK remains classified as a terrorist organization by Ankara and the European Union.

Should Öcalan officially call for disarmament, it would mark a historic development in the Kurdish-Turkish conflict. However, the reactions of Turkish authorities and Kurdish armed factions will be key factors in determining the true impact of this potential peace initiative.