Imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan described the Turkey‘s government’s current initiative to push forward the peace process as “historic” in a message released on 4 November by the pro-Kurdish DEM party, a statement made public a day after a party delegation visited Öcalan in prison on the island of İmralı where he has been serving a life sentence since 1999.
Turkish media reported that the delegation consisted of MPs Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, along with lawyer Faik Özgür Erol. The three-hour meeting took place in a positive atmosphere, according to party representatives, who said that Öcalan was in good health and “in good spirits” and that “the meeting was extremely positive“.
In the message delivered by the PKK leader, Öcalan stressed the need to approach the process with a historical perspective: “Moving forward in this process requires taking history and sociology more seriously. It is important to recognise that Turkish-Kurdish relations have lasted until today on the basis of two thousand years of coexistence. Unity must be strengthened by recognising, understanding and repairing these pillars. We must act not by drawing lines, but by creating a horizon that includes our current problems”.
“We are making a serious effort to address a historical issue in limited circumstances. We seek to develop a positive phase, not a destructive or negative one. The inclusion of the Kurdish phenomenon in all its dimensions within the legality of the Republic must be the basis for a solid transition. This transition to legality as an integral phenomenon will strengthen the legal foundations of the Democratic Republic,” Öcalan said in his message.
Bahçeli supports the release of Demirtaş
At the same time, the leader of the Turkish nationalist party MHP, Devlet Bahçeli, has in recent hours expressed his support for the release of former HDP party co-chairman Selahattin Demirtaş, saying it would be “beneficial for Turkey”: a statement that follows the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to reject the Turkish government’s appeal against the ruling calling for Demirtaş‘s release.
“The legal route has reached a conclusion,” Bahçeli said, referring to the European court’s ruling, which confirmed that the Kurdish politician‘s rights had been violated. Demirtaş was sentenced last May to 42 years in prison for his role in the violent 2014 protests in southeastern Türkiye over the ISIS siege of the Syrian city of Kobane (Ayn al-Arab), while his former party colleague and also co-chairwoman, Figen Yüksekdağ, received a sentence of 30 years and three months in prison.
Bahçeli added today that “the opinions, thoughts and criteria of the PKK’s founding leader must be taken into account”, and urged an end to “sterile discussions” over the government’s peace initiative for a Turkey free of terrorism, which Bahçeli himself helped push for when he called for direct talks with Öcalan a year ago.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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