Roj Bash Kurdistan

Turkey Allows Delegation to Visit Ocalan

Turkey has permitted a delegation from the (DEM) to visit Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), on Imrali Island, Turkish media reported on Thursday. This marks the first such visit in nearly a decade

According to the pro-government Sabah newspaper, the visit is expected to take place on Thursday or Friday, following approval from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The delegation includes notable figures such as Sırrı Süreyya Önder and Pervin Buldan, along with other members of parliament.

The initiative follows a proposal by Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and a key ally of Erdogan, who suggested that Ocalan address the Turkish parliament and call for the PKK to lay down its arms in exchange for a potential general amnesty

Tülay Hatipoğlu, co-chair of the DEM Party, expressed readiness for talks with the Turkish government, emphasizing that Ocalan must play a central role in resolving the Kurdish issue and advocating for his release from imprisonment.

Turkish news outlet Independent reported that Ocalan may send a message to PKK leaders in the Qandil Mountains, urging disarmament under certain conditions. However, specific details of these conditions have not been disclosed.

This development is part of a broader effort to address the 40-year conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. The PKK, designated as a “terrorist organization” by Turkey, has been engaged in an armed struggle for Kurdish rights since the late 1970s.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/870571

PKK is a Marxist group that for many years supported and encouraged an Independent Kurdistan

Thousands of Kurds joined the PKK and died in the fight for INDEPENDENCE

I do NOT consider the Kurdish Democratic Party (DEM) to be pro Kurdish because it is helping to suppress Kurdish desire for Independence

Why is Turkey allowing this meeting?

It most certainly is NOT for the benefit of the Kurdish nation

DEM Party refutes reports of meeting with Ocalan

Erbil (Kurdistan24) – The People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) rejected claims that Turkey's Justice Ministry had notified it about an forthcoming meeting with imprisoned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan

This rejection followed a report by the pro-government Sabah newspaper, which detailed that the Justice Ministry had approved the DEM Party's request to meet Ocalan.

The report implied that the meeting could take place either on Thursday or on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024.

The delegation apparently set to meet Ocalan in İmralı Prison includes DEM Party Istanbul Deputy and Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, and DEM Party Van Deputy Pervin Buldan.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç recently stated that a meeting between the DEM Party and Ocalan could take place after the approval of the 2025 budget talks.

However, neither the Justice Ministry nor other relevant authorities have confirmed this information to the DEM Party

Earlier this week, a DEM Party delegation, accompanied by a number of politicians and activists from Northern Kurdistan, visited the Turkish Ministry of Justice to officially request a meeting with Ocalan.

This development comes months after Abdullah Ocalan’s nephew and PKK MP, Omar Ocalan, met with his uncle in İmralı Prison on Oct. 23, 2024, marking the first such visit in over two and a half years.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/81 ... lah-ocalan

Kurdish lawmakers meet Ocalan

Two Kurdish lawmakers arrived at Turkey’s Imrali prison on Saturday to meet the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)

Sirri Sureyya Onder and Pervin Buldan were granted the rare permission to meet Abdullah Ocalan after the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) put in an official request in November.

Aysegul Dogan, DEM Party spokesperson, confirmed to Rudaw that the delegation has arrived on the island, but there is little information about what else to expect.

“We do not have information on where else they went, when the meeting started, how long it will last, what will be discussed, or whether there will be a statement upon their return,” DEM Party said in a statement to journalists.

“We also do not know if they will return from the same place. The trip is entirely under the initiative of the authorities. Whether there will be a statement afterward will depend on the meeting there,” it added.

Onder and Buldan were part of a group that visited Ocalan in 2014 during a short-lived peace process between Ankara and the PKK.

Ocalan has been kept on the island prison since 1999 and is granted only irregular contact with the outside world.

His nephew Omer Ocalan, also a DEM Party lawmaker, visited the island prison in late October. It was the first face-to-face meeting between the PKK leader and his family since March 3, 2020.

The PKK leader said he was in “good health” and “sent greetings to everyone,” according to his nephew.

Ocalan’s elder brother Mehmet Ocalan last had a short phone call with him in March 2021. Numerous subsequent requests by lawyers and family to meet the PKK leader were rejected.

The government shifted its hardline stance prohibiting contact with Ocalan after Devlet Bahceli, the leader of Turkey’s far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), proposed that Ocalan address the Turkish parliament and announce the dissolution of the PKK. MHP is the government ally of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Founded in 1978, the PKK initially called for the establishment of an independent Kurdistan but now calls for autonomy. The group is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey.

DEM Party’s predecessor, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), played a key role in negotiating peace talks a decade ago.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... y/28122024

Turkey is up to no good

PKK leader urges restoring

Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The strengthening of the “brotherhood” between Turks and Kurds is a “historic responsibility” and vital to reaching a permanent solution to the Kurdish issue, jailed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan said Saturday in his latest message from prison

(There is NO brotherhood between Turks and Kurds)

The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) sent a delegation to Turkey’s Imrali island prison on Saturday to meet Ocalan after the Turkish government recently shifted its hardline stance prohibiting contact with the PKK leader, who is granted only irregular contact with the outside world.

“He was in good health and his morale was quite high. His assessments regarding finding a permanent solution to the Kurdish cause were of vital importance,” DEM Party lawmakers Sirri Sureyya Onder and Pervin Buldan said in a statement on Sunday after visiting Ocalan.

“Strengthening Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood again has gained historical importance and urgency, as well as being a critical responsibility for all peoples,” the lawmakers cited him as saying.

He called on political fronts in Turkey to contribute to this process by “making positive contributions without getting caught up in narrow and periodic calculations,” and suggested the Turkish parliament as an important platform to make changes.

Ocalan also expressed his willingness to cooperate with the changes proposed by Turkish President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli.

Bahceli has proposed that Ocalan address the Turkish parliament and announce the dissolution of the PKK. MHP and AKP are government allies.

“The delegation is ready to share its approach with both the state and political circles. Under this light, we are prepared to take and call for positive steps when necessary,” Ocalan said, calling for a new era of “peace, democracy, and brotherhood” in Turkey.

On Sunday, Buldan told opposition media ANKA that they will request an appointment with political parties to explain Ocalan’s messages after the New Year and that they plan to visit Imrali “soon” again.

Ocalan has been kept in the island prison since 1999.

Founded in 1978, the PKK initially called for the establishment of an Independent Kurdistan but now calls for autonomy. The group is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey.

(Shamefully the HDP and DEM have spent years trying to convince Kurds that they do NOT deserve a country of their own, even though Turkey has laid claim to a large portion of traditional homeland and has been asset stripping the land)

DEM Party’s predecessor, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), played a key role in negotiating peace talks a decade ago. The talks collapsed in 2015 and were followed by intense urban fighting in the country’s southwestern Kurdish areas.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... y/29122024

Opposition wary of AKP's strategy

Turkey’s opposition parties accuse the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP of lacking transparency, which fuels skepticism about its intentions and the potential outcome of Saturday’s meeting between Democratic Equality and People’s Party (DEM Party) representatives and imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government recently granted the DEM Party’s request to meet with Öcalan, who founded the PKK, a group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, nearly half a century ago to fight for Kurdish rights.

Historic meeting

The visit on Saturday came two months after Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), extended an invitation to Öcalan to renounce violence and dissolve the PKK, a gesture supported by Erdoğan.

Soon after Bahçeli’s call, Öcalan was allowed his first family visit since March 2020, prompting the DEM Party to make its own request to the justice ministry to visit the 75-year-old PKK leader.

PKK militants subsequently claimed responsibility for an attack in October on a Turkish defense contractor that killed five, which delayed the government approval of DEM’s request.

Over the years, Öcalan has engaged in talks with authorities to resolve what is often called Turkey’s “Kurdish issue,” a term prevalent in Turkey’s public discourse that refers to the demand for equal rights by the country’s Kurdish population and their struggle for recognition.

The most recent efforts at a peace process collapsed in 2015, sparking the resumption of violence, especially in the Kurdish-majority southeast.

The government’s approval of the DEM Party visit comes after rebels in neighboring Syria overthrew strongman President Bashar al-Assad on December 8.

The visit to Öcalan, who has been held since 1999 in a prison on İmralı Island in the Sea of Marmara, was the party’s first in almost 10 years.

DEM Party representatives Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya Önder met with Öcalan on İmralı Island on Saturday.

In a statement following the meeting, the DEM Party shared Öcalan’s message, which emphasized the importance of Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood and a commitment to resolving the Kurdish issue within a peaceful framework.

Öcalan’s message also highlighted his readiness to contribute positively to the ongoing process initiated by President Erdoğan and MHP leader Bahçeli’s “new paradigm” for peace.

According to a report by Voice of America’s Turkish edition, Buldan and Önder said they were “more hopeful than ever” about the potential for progress. They announced plans to provide further updates in the coming months, citing the need for discretion during the early stages of dialogue.

Cautious opposition

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) called for greater transparency in the process and said the Turkish parliament should remain the central platform for addressing such critical issues.

“We believe the solution must be found within the framework of parliament. Any process that disregards the sensitivities of families of martyrs [who were killed in the fight with the PKK] and veterans would be unacceptable,” the Gazete Duvar news website quoted CHP spokesman Deniz Yücel as saying.

Similarly, the Good (İYİ) Party expressed uncertainty about the government’s intentions. İYİ leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu questioned the “new paradigm” described by Öcalan.

“We do not fully understand what this paradigm entails or what the government seeks to achieve. Clarity is crucial,” the Haber Sol news website quoted Dervişoğlu as saying.

MHP leader Bahçeli’s role in initiating this process has been a surprising turn. Known for his staunch opposition to previous peace efforts, Bahçeli’s endorsement of talks has drawn mixed reactions. Analysts speculate that his support reflects the AKP’s strategy to address regional instability and strengthen domestic unity ahead of upcoming elections.

Not all political actors have been receptive. Far-right Victory Party (ZP) leader Ümit Özdağ condemned the talks. He accused the government of enabling Öcalan to push his agenda and criticized the AKP and MHP for risking national integrity.

“This government has consistently blurred the lines between fighting terror and negotiating with terrorists,” the Kronos news website quoted Özdağ as saying.

The discussions have also drawn criticism from smaller parties and civic organizations. Speaking to VOA, the Kurdistan Socialist Party (PSK) and Dicle Toplumsal Araştırmalar Merkezi (DİTAM) have called for broader inclusion in the process. DİTAM Vice President Sedat Yurtdaş stressed the importance of building a sociopolitical framework that reflects Turkey’s realities, warning that “top-down solutions” risk alienating critical stakeholders.

Islamist opposition New Welfare Party (YRP) leader Fatih Erbakan echoed these sentiments and urged the government to engage regional representatives and communities rather than focusing solely on high-level negotiations.

True resolution requires involvement of all affected groups

The comparisons between the current process and the failed peace talks of 2012-2015 are inevitable. Observers have noted key differences, including the broader political spectrum’s level of involvement this time and the shifting dynamics in the Middle East following the regime change in Syria.

Yet many remain skeptical. Critics argue that the AKP’s approach prioritizes political gain over lasting solutions. The lack of a clear roadmap underscores the fragility of the process.

https://www.turkishminute.com/2024/12/3 ... kk-leader/

Simple solution: give Kurds Independence on their traditional homeland

Is there sincerity in peace talks

Turkey’s main Kurdish party kicked off a series of talks with Turkish political parties on Thursday. The talks are part of efforts to initiate a peace process between the state and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)

The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) delegation, consisting of veteran Kurdish politician Ahmet Turk and the party’s lawmakers, Pervin Buldan and Sirri Sureyya Onder, first met with Numan Kurtulmus, speaker of the Turkish parliament.

Buldan and Onder were granted rare access to Imrali prison on Saturday to meet jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Then they visited far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli who had previously opposed talks with the PKK, but in a surprise move was the one to launch the current efforts.

Diyadin Firat is a DEM Party lawmaker. He told Rudaw that they want "sincerity" in the talks

Politics requires permanent grounds for meetings and dialogue. Without a permanent system, results will not emerge. Today the DEM Party is having a meeting with the parliament speaker and MHP leader, but Ahmet [Turk] is also involved.

Now, Ahmet has been removed from his position and a trustee has replaced him, but now you're saying come be a mediator. This won't work. Sincerity and honesty are necessary," he said.

Also part of the DEM Party’s negotiating team is Turk, who was removed from his position as mayor of Mardin for alleged PKK links.

Ahmed Faruk is a politician and a former lawmaker. He involved in a failed 2013 peace effort.

"In previous processes, no one outside the government supported the process. But now the person who was most expected to oppose, namely Devlet Bahceli, has initiated this process with a call. Because of this, both across Turkey and in parliament, a delegation with significant weight is emerging to support the process. Of course, taking parliament as an interlocutor is very critical. But developments in Syria ultimately have a critical place," he told Rudaw.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... y/03012025

Will Turkey announce general amnesty?

With Turkey on the brink of a possible new peace process between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the state, there is hope that a general amnesty may be forthcoming for thousands of people jailed because of alleged links to the armed group

The initiative for peace came from a surprising corner - the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli, whose party is an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and had previously opposed talks with the PKK. Late last year, he said that jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan should benefit from the “right to hope” law that says a prisoner should have hope for their eventual release.

Turkish politician Ufuk Uras said this could mean a general amnesty.

“In my prediction, what is called the ‘right of hope’ is not for just one person. Meaning it's not limited to only Abdullah Ocalan and is a general right. I believe there's a possibility that within this framework, a legal correction like an amnesty could be made,” he told Rudaw on Friday.

There is precedence for this, he argued, “because in the history of the Republic, the 10th and 50th years were seen as periods symbolizing amnesty. Therefore, as part of the process, such a political amnesty and a new beginning could be considered.”

The Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) is laying the groundwork for peace talks. Last week, two lawmakers, Pervin Buldan and Sirri Sureyya Onder, were granted rare access to Imrali prison to meet Ocalan.

Through them, Ocalan sent a message that highlighted Kurdish-Turkish “brotherhood” and said he is able to make the call regarding the future of the PKK and a potential peace process.

On Thursday, Buldan and Onder were joined by veteran Kurdish politician Ahmet Turk and the three kicked off a series of meetings with Turkish political authorities. They first met with Numan Kurtulmus, speaker of the parliament, and then with MHP’s Bahceli.

A member of the ruling AKP said it is not the right time for an amnesty

"It is too early to discuss general amnesty in Turkey. We need to see how peace steps and dialogue proceed, but Turkey as a state and the president, with a statesman-like approach, will take all paths toward harmony and problem-solving,” Faruk Kilic told Rudaw on Friday.

“What's important here is what Ocalan says. In my opinion, Ocalan wanted to stop this bloodshed even before, and his position was the same during the other resolution process, but they didn't listen to him. However, in the current situation, I say that the Kurdish people won't leave Ocalan's messages on the ground and this will lead to stopping this bloodshed,” he said.

“All parties support resolving issues through peaceful means, and no party wants conflict, war, and complications to continue,” he added.

Ankara “considers resolving the Kurdish issue its responsibility, and everyone agrees that within the framework of the Turkish state, everyone's rights should be protected and respected,” Kilic said, noting that Erdogan is “striving to strengthen Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood and is working to solve problems with a statesman-like approach."

Founded in 1978, the PKK initially called for the establishment of an independent Kurdistan but now calls for autonomy

DEM Party’s predecessor, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), played a key role in negotiating peace talks a decade ago. The short-lived ceasefire collapsed in 2015 and was followed by intense urban fighting in Turkey’s southwestern Kurdish areas.

Ocalan has been kept in the island prison since 1999. He is in good health and his morale is high, according to the MPs who visited him.

In his message sent through the visiting MPs, Ocalan called on all political fronts in Turkey to contribute to the peace process by “making positive contributions” and said the parliament could be an important platform for change.

Bahceli has proposed Ocalan be invited to address parliament and announce the dissolution of the PKK.

By indicating the parliament as a key interlocutor, Ocalan is seeking a legal basis for resolving issues, according to Ziryan Rojhelati, director of Rudaw Research Center.

He believes Western Kurdistan (Rojava Kurdistani) could also play a key role in peace talks.

“In 2015, the resolution process in Turkey was suspended due to developments in Western Kurdistan [Rojava Kurdistani], and now similarly, due to the situation in Syria and Western Kurdistan, a new phase of dialogue and peace efforts has emerged in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan,” he said.

In 2015, protesters called for Turkey to open its borders for Kurds who were fighting the Islamic State (ISIS) in the border town of Kobane, northeast Syria. The nation-wide protests turned violent and a subsequent trial put numerous Kurdish politicians in jail on charges of inciting violence, including Ahmet Turk who was sentenced to ten years in jail in May for his alleged involvement in the protests. This led to him losing his position as mayor of Mardin in November.

AKP’s Kilic agreed that what happens in Syria will impact Turkey. A coalition of rebel groups spearheaded by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) last month toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime and installed a transitional government. The Kurdish administration in Western Kurdistan is now in talks with the new authorities in Damascus.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/interview/04012025

The PKK initially called for the establishment of an Independent Kurdistan but now traitors have betrayed all those who died fighting for their homeland and with the help of DEM call for just a few more rights

Kurds deserve a land of their OWN

PKK Must Dissolve: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Sunday that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has no choice but to lay down arms, signalling a pivotal moment in Turkey’s ongoing fight against terrorism

“The PKK has no choice but to dissolve itself,” Erdogan stated, emphasizing that terrorism has reached its final stage. He affirmed that the era of “canonization” is over and vowed not to allow divisions between Turks and Kurds.

Erdogan’s remarks follow developments surrounding imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who reportedly expressed willingness to support dialogue efforts.

During a meeting with a delegation from the People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) on December 28 in Imrali prison, Ocalan stated, “I have the ability and will to participate positively in Erdogan and Bahçeli’s call for dialogue.

This is an era of peace, democracy, and brotherhood for Turkey and the region.”

Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the National Movement Party (MHP), welcomed the meeting between Ocalan and the DEM delegation, describing it as a “good start for democracy and Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood.”

He stressed the need for concrete actions to strengthen relations and prioritize unity.

“No step must remain in the shadow of terrorism,” Bahçeli said, highlighting the importance of fighting terrorism to achieve societal consensus and brotherhood.

The remarks signal a potential shift in Turkey’s approach to addressing the Kurdish issue, with calls for dialogue and peace emerging alongside continued emphasis on combating terrorism.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/871368

PKK may lay down arms
in return for Ocalan’s freedom

The leader of the Kurdish Islamist Free Cause Party (Huda Par) on Tuesday said that Abdullah Ocalan, jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), may call on the group to lay down arms in return for his freedom amid a fresh initiative seeking a peace process

“The release of Abdullah Ocalan is possible. He may tell the PKK that the time of weapons and armed struggle is over and that they should launch a political struggle instead. Such a call is possible in return for Abdullah Ocalan’s freedom,” Zekeriya Yapicioglu told Rudaw.

A Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) delegation, consisting of the party’s lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Sirri Sureyya Onder, were granted rare access to Imrali prison to meet Ocalan. Kurdish veteran politician, Ahmed Turk, was later added to the delegation.

The Kurdish party’s delegation has met with the speaker of the Turkish parliament and most of the Turkish political parties that have lawmakers in the legislature, including the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

The DEM Party delegation has conveyed Ocalan’s message to the political parties.

In his message, he calls on political fronts in Turkey to make “positive contributions,” saying the Turkish parliament could be an important platform for change. He also emphasizes Turkish-Kurdish “brotherhood.”

Yapicioglu’s party, which has close ties with the AKP, has not met with the DEM Party delegation but he said they would endorse the initiative “if the PKK lays down arms,” claiming that the armed group has “caused considerable harm to Kurds.”

The Kurdish issue in Turkey should be resolved disregarding the outcome of the initiative, the politician noted.

Ocalan has been kept in the island prison since 1999.

Founded in 1978, the PKK initially called for the establishment of an Independent Kurdistan but now calls for autonomy. The group is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey.

DEM Party’s predecessor, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), played a key role in negotiating peace talks a decade ago. The short-lived ceasefire collapsed in 2015 and was followed by intense urban fighting in the country’s southwestern Kurdish areas.

There are also efforts to amend Turkey’s constitution.

Yapicioglu said that the new constitution should guarantee Kurdish rights, primarily Kurdish education.

“Kurds are owners of this land and country and they are also the founders of this Republic. There must be equality - Kurds should enjoy the same rights as Turks. The Kurdish language must be used in the country and education in the mother tongue should not face any challenges,” Zekeriya Yapicioglu told Rudaw, emphasizing that the Turkish constitution should be amended to make this possible.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... y/07012025

CORRECT Kurds are real owners of large portions of land that Turkey now occupies and it should revert to being the traditional Kurdish homeland, occupied and governed by Northern Kurdistan