Erdogan ally proposes Kurdish DEM Party hold talks with Ocalan

Erdogan ally proposes Kurdish DEM Party hold talks with jailed Kurdish leader Ocalan — Illustrative photo: Devlet Bahceli (L), the head of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and a poster of Turkey’s jailed Kurdish leader and PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan 2024. Photo: iKurd.net/AK Party/Firat News Agency ANF

ANKARA,— A key ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has proposed a step toward resolving the 40-year conflict with Kurdish PKK militants.

Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), urged parliament’s pro-Kurdish party to engage in direct talks with Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed Kurdish leader and founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

This call builds on Bahceli’s earlier suggestion that Ocalan could declare an end to the insurgency in exchange for a potential release from his decades-long imprisonment.

Erdogan referred to Bahceli’s initial proposal as a “historic window of opportunity,” though he has not outlined any specific steps toward a peace process.

Ocalan, who has been held on Imrali Island near Istanbul since his capture in 1999, is a central figure in Kurdish politics.

Bahceli emphasized the importance of immediate dialogue between Ocalan and the pro-Kurdish Democratic Party (DEM), the third-largest party in Turkey’s parliament with 57 seats.

“We expect face-to-face contact between Imrali and the DEM group to be made without delay,” he said during a recent parliamentary meeting.

The DEM (formerly known as HDP) Party’s predecessor played a role in peace talks a decade ago, but Bahceli frequently criticizes pro-Kurdish politicians as proxies for the PKK.

The PKK, labeled a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, has been waging an armed struggle since 1984, seeking greater autonomy for the Kurdish minority, which makes up over 22.5 million of Turkey’s 84 million citizens. The conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives, mostly among Turkish soldiers and Kurdish fighters.

Turkey recently allowed Ocalan’s nephew to visit him, marking the first family visit in over four years. While Ankara has not disclosed further plans, analysts suggest that shifting regional dynamics and political pressures may be driving renewed efforts to address the conflict.

The Kurdish PKK group often targets Turkish military and government security facilities while strictly avoiding civilian casualties. This approach has led many organizations around the world to call on governments to reconsider the PKK’s designation as a terrorist group.

Support for Ocalan and the PKK remains strong among many Kurds in Turkey and abroad, who view the leader as a powerful symbol of their struggle for rights and recognition. The road to peace, however, remains uncertain, as Ankara continues to deny constitutional acknowledgment of Kurdish identity.

(With files from Reuters | AFP | Agencies)