The İmralı delegation of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) was set to meet with the Turkish Ministry of Justice on April 18. The meeting was postponed due to the health condition of Delegation member Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who suffered a heart attack on Tuesday evening and was rushed to the Florence Nightingale Hospital in Istanbul. Following emergency surgery, he was moved to intensive care. His condition is still described as serious and threatening, and the prognosis remains guarded. On Wednesday, his sedation period was extended by five days.

The DEM Party announced on April 17 that the meeting between the Minister of Justice and the İmralı Delegation had been postponed due to the health condition of Sırrı Süreyya Önder and the fact that all executives of the party were in the hospital.

In a statement on the health condition of Sırrı Süreyya Önder, the DEM Party said on Sunday that his intensive care treatment continued. “Our party continues to wait hopefully in the hospital with all its committees and we believe that our friend Sırrı Süreyya Önder will recover as soon as possible and continue where he left off.”

The statement continued: “While our party and the public show great sensitivity to this issue, unfortunately, speculative news not based on real information is being spread. The information that a new name will replace Sırrı Süreyya Önder in the DEM Party İmralı Delegation is not true. Our party has not discussed this issue yet and its first priority remains the recovery of our comrade Sırrı Süreyya Önder.

On the other hand, the meeting with the Minister of Justice will be held by our Deputy Group Chairpersons (Sezai Temelli and Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit) due to Sırrı Süreyya Önder's health condition and Pervin Buldan busy schedule in the hospital.”