Pervin Buldan Says Öcalan Discussed Draft Law During İmralı Meeting
Speaking at the DEM Party provincial office, Buldan said a delegation visited Öcalan on İmralı Prison Island on May 24, marking their first meeting with him in two months.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The provincial branches of Türkiye's pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) in Van marked Eid al-Adha celebrations with the public, during which senior DEM Party official Pervin Buldan shared details of a recent meeting with Abdullah Öcalan.
Speaking at the DEM Party provincial office, Buldan said a delegation visited Öcalan on İmralı Prison Island on May 24, marking their first meeting with him in two months. According to Buldan, the meeting lasted around three hours and focused largely on a proposed legal framework related to the ongoing peace and democracy process in Türkiye.
Buldan said Öcalan stressed the importance of introducing a “foundational” framework law consisting of seven or eight articles that could help accelerate democratic reforms.
She added that political contacts and discussions would intensify after the Eid holiday in an effort to finalize the draft legislation before the Turkish parliament enters recess in the coming months.
“The process is too urgent to be delayed,” Buldan said, warning that prolonging negotiations could increase risks amid ongoing regional developments.
Buldan also said that broader democratization and reform packages would follow once the draft law is completed, adding that many people — including prisoners and others awaiting legal reforms — are closely watching the process.
She further highlighted the wider regional context, saying developments in the Middle East and political tensions inside Türkiye make it increasingly important for the peace and democracy process to gain a legal foundation.
The peace process in Türkiye is currently at a fragile standstill after a year of historic breakthroughs. While the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) formally renounced its armed struggle and began self-dissolution in mid-2025, negotiations have reached a "temporary stalemate" as both sides clash over legal frameworks and regional security demands.
The active peace initiative began in late 2024 when Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the nationalist MHP, unexpectedly urged the PKK to disarm. This prompted back-channel negotiations and direct contact with the jailed PKK leader Öcalan.