DEM Party: Ocalan requests to meet President Barzani
PKK's Ocalan seeks talks with President Barzani to revive peace process, says DEM Party. Calls grow for Turkish parliamentary commission before summer recess as Kurdish political leaders push for international oversight.
By Ahora Qadi
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has called for a direct dialogue with President Masoud Barzani as part of renewed efforts to revive the long-stalled peace process between the Turkish state and the Kurdish movement, a spokesperson for Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) confirmed on Tuesday.
Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, DEM Party spokesperson Ayşegul Dogan revealed that Ocalan, who is currently imprisoned on Imrali Island, has requested a meeting with key Kurdish political leaders to chart a new path for peace. “Mr. Ocalan seeks engagement with senior Kurdish leaders, including President Masoud Barzani, President Nechirvan Barzani, Mazloum Abdi, and Bafel Talabani,” Dogan stated.
“This is something we also want to see realized,” she added, underlining the strategic importance of inclusive intra-Kurdish dialogue in laying the foundation for a sustainable peace initiative.
“We Are Preparing to Visit Imrali Again”
Dogan noted that the DEM Party is actively preparing for another delegation visit to Imrali in the near future to discuss “the next phase of the peace process” directly with Ocalan. The party has already conducted five official visits to the island in the context of the renewed peace efforts.
“Efforts are already underway,” she said. “Ocalan has issued a call, and the PKK has held its congress in response. The question now is: what comes next? The logical step is the formation of a formal parliamentary commission to oversee the process.”
Call for Institutional Mechanism Before Parliamentary Recess
In her concluding remarks, Dogan appealed to the Speaker of the Turkish Parliament to initiate the establishment of a dedicated commission before the summer recess. “Before the parliament enters its summer break, this commission should be formed, and a session should be held to define its working model,” she urged.
Dogan emphasized that such a mechanism is essential to ensure the process is not derailed by political fluctuations and that it can advance in a structured and accountable manner.
A Historic Opening for Peace
Ocalan’s overture comes amid a broader shift in the political climate following the PKK’s unprecedented announcement to lay down arms. Veteran Kurdish politician Osman Baydemir recently told Kurdistan24 that “peace cannot be achieved unilaterally,” and called on the Turkish government to take “bold and irreversible steps” to advance the process.
Baydemir also called for international oversight by third-party actors such as the United Nations, France, or the United States to safeguard the integrity and transparency of the negotiations.
Notably, Baydemir emphasized the pivotal role played by the Kurdistan Regional Government and President Masoud Barzani, expressing gratitude for their support. “We recognize the crucial role of President Barzani and the Kurdistan Region in backing this peace process,” he said.
A Shift Toward Dialogue
While previous efforts at Turkish-Kurdish reconciliation collapsed in 2015, the current momentum suggests a renewed window of opportunity. DEM Party’s call for institutionalization and Ocalan’s invitation to key Kurdish leaders mark a potential turning point.
As tensions remain high in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority regions, observers view this development as an opportunity for genuine political dialogue—one that could, if supported by all sides, reshape the future of peace and coexistence in the country.
