Erdoğan, DEM Party to Discuss PKK Disarmament and Peace Process

By Kamaran Aziz

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) — A delegation from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), led by MP Pervin Buldan, is scheduled to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at 3:00 PM on Monday, to discuss the peace process in Türkiye, the disarmament of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and a recent message from the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.

The meeting will take place at the Presidential Palace and follows a recent visit by the DEM Party delegation to Öcalan on Imralı island, their sixth since the peace process began. During this latest encounter, Öcalan emphasized the urgency and historic nature of the upcoming meeting with President Erdoğan. According to the delegation, Öcalan stated: "The meeting will be very important and historic," adding that the process is entering a new phase requiring commitment from all sides.

The delegation’s visit to Imralı was rescheduled to precede their meeting with the Turkish president, though it was initially planned to take place afterward. No official reason for the change has been provided.

Following the Imralı meeting, the DEM Party delegation described their conversation with Öcalan as "very positive" and expressed optimism about the prospects for progress. They highlighted Öcalan's strong hope and confidence in achieving democratization in Türkiye through this process.

President Erdoğan, in his first public response to the PKK’s announced plan to disarm, stated: "It further advances the peace process in Türkiye." He added: "We will not allow any party to create obstacles for the process, and we will monitor it closely and with sensitivity." Erdoğan confirmed that his meeting with the DEM Party would address the forthcoming steps in the reconciliation process.

A significant moment in this context is scheduled to occur between July 10 and 12, 2025, in the Sulaimani province of the Kurdistan Region, where a group affiliated with the PKK is expected to lay down or destroy its weapons.

The event will be attended by representatives from the Interior Ministries of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the DEM Party delegation, senior PKK commanders, and local and international journalists.

Hiwa Qarani, Supervisor of the Raparin Administration, told Kurdistan24: "Regarding the process of a group of PKK members disarming within the Raparin Administration's borders, we have not yet been officially requested or informed." However, Qarani confirmed that information suggests the DEM Party delegation will be present, along with other observers.

The DEM Party delegation comprises MPs Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, along with lawyer Özgür Faik Erol. The group first visited Imralı on December 28, 2024, and has met with Öcalan four more times this year: on January 22, February 27, April 21, and May 18, 2025.

As all eyes turn to Ankara, the outcomes of today’s meeting between President Erdoğan and the DEM Party delegation are expected to significantly shape the next steps in Türkiye’s long-standing conflict and its potential resolution.