Abdullah Öcalan meets family after 18-month separation amid renewed peace talk speculations

This rare family visit coincides with recent controversial statements by Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the MHP, who suggested that Öcalan should address the Turkish Parliament with a disarmament message.

Ömer Öcalan, a DEM Party parliamentarian and nephew of Abdullah Öcalan. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)
Ömer Öcalan, a DEM Party parliamentarian and nephew of Abdullah Öcalan. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - In a significant development that could signal shifting political dynamics in Turkey, imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan was permitted to meet with his family on Wednesday, after an 18-month hiatus. 
The meeting was confirmed by Ömer Öcalan, a DEM Party parliamentarian and nephew of Abdullah Öcalan, through his official X (formerly Twitter) account.


This rare family visit coincides with recent controversial statements by Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), who suggested that Öcalan should address the Turkish Parliament with a disarmament message. 
Bahçeli's unexpected proposal has dominated Turkish media headlines, with analysts divided over whether it represents a genuine political opening or merely serves political interests.
Abdullah Öcalan, founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), has been imprisoned on İmralı Island since his capture in Kenya on Feb. 15, 1999, in a Turkish intelligence operation. 
His imprisonment has been marked by strict isolation, with his lawyers reportedly being denied access 768 times according to PKK-affiliated media sources.