The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Imrali Delegation will have a third meeting with Abdullah Öcalan at İmralı F Type High Security Closed Prison tomorrow.

On 28 December 2024, DEM Party MPs Sırrı Süreyya Önder and Pervin Buldan traveled to Imrali Prison Island to meet with Abdullah Öcalan for the first time. The second meeting took place on 22 January 2025. 

Unlike the previous meetings, the delegation to the third meeting in İmralı will consist of seven people. In addition to Sırrı Süreyya Önder and Pervin Buldan, DEM Party co-chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, Ahmet Türk, DEM Party Istanbul MP Cengiz Çiçek and lawyer Faik Özgür Erol from Asrin Law Office will also be part of the delegation.

After the meeting, the delegation will make a statement in Istanbul at 17:00 local time, according to the DEM Party statement on Wednesday.

Background

On 28 December 2024, members of the DEM Party Imrali delegation, Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya Önder, visited Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı Island Prison in the Sea of Marmara. During the visit, the Kurdish leader conveyed messages aimed at finding a solution.

Sırrı Süreyya Önder and Pervin Buldan held a second meeting with Abdullah Öcalan on 22 January 2025. Following the meeting, which lasted four hours, the delegation briefed the DEM Party leadership. 

In a statement about the meeting on 23 January, the delegation said: “Mr. Öcalan's work on the process continues. Necessary explanations will be made to the public after his preparations on this subject are completed. As a delegation, we will carry on our work and talks, and we will inform the public as developments take place. This process will help everyone, all of us, live together and freely. We look forward to the valuable contributions of all social segments in the hope that this will be made possible.”

Since 28 December, the delegation has met with the heads of political parties represented in the Parliament, imprisoned politicians in prison, DEM Party components and various circles.

The delegation’s visits and meetings began on 3 January with the Speaker of the Parliament, Numan Kurtulmuş, and continued with meetings with the leaders and representatives of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Future Party, Justice and Development Party (AKP), Felicity Party (SP), Republican People's Party (CHP), Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), and the Re-Welfare Party (Yeniden Refah Partisi).

On 11-12 January, the delegation also met with HDP former co-chairs and politicians currently in prison, including Figen Yüksekdağ, Selahattin Demirtaş, Leyla Güven, and Selçuk Mızraklı.

In a statement on 17 January, the DEM Party İmralı Delegation said: “The main focus of our meeting agendas was to convey the results of our discussion with Mr. Öcalan and evaluate the new developments together. These discussions centered around finding a lasting solution to the Kurdish question and the resulting conflict, the historical responsibility to strengthen the Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood, the obligations arising from the deep and irreversible developments in the Middle East, and the recognition of the Parliament and democratic politics as the most important platforms for resolving these issues.”

The statement pointed out that: “Our impression from these meetings is that there is a shared desire and will among all political parties to move beyond the conflict and tension caused by the Kurdish question. There is a shared understanding that fostering the unity and brotherhood of all ethnic, religious, and sect groups in our country would benefit everyone. A parallel feeling is that the peace process should also contribute to general democratization and the expansion of the democratic political space.”

On the other hand, the DEM Party informed the public about these activities through public meetings and rallies in 42 centers and conveyed the opinions, suggestions, concerns and expectations of the people to the İmralı Delegation in the form of reports.

The İmralı Delegation also held talks in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The delegation met with the ruling KDP chair, Masoud Barzani, and Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Region, on 16-17 February. The delegation also met with PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) Leader Bafel Talabani and Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Kurdistan Region, Qubad Talabani, on 18 February.

During the visits, the details of the talks in İmralı were shared and the opinions, suggestions and thoughts of those concerned regarding the process were received to be conveyed to Öcalan.