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Turkey's Kurdish DEM party meets imprisoned ex-leader Demirtas

Turkey's Kurdish DEM party meets imprisoned ex-leader Demirtas

 


Turkey's Kurdish DEM party meets imprisoned ex-leader Selahattin Demirtas
Selahattin Demirtas, Turkey's top Kurdish leader and former co-leader of the People's Democratic Party (HDP), imprisoned, 2016. Photo: HDP

ISTANBUL, A delegation from Turkey's pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (DEM) met on Saturday with a prominent Kurdish politician and ancient Party co-leader Selahattin Demirtas, imprisoned since 2016, in an effort to advance efforts to end decades of conflict between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Demirtas, 51, was sentenced in May 2023 to 42 years in prison for his alleged involvement in a murderous affair protests in 2014which erupted when Islamic State militants besieged the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani.

A prominent figure in Turkish politics and a two-time challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Demirtas has been accused of undermining state unity and threatening national integrity.

THE meeting with Demirtas took place in Edirne, a city in western Turkey where he is incarcerated, according to the DEM party. The delegation's visit follows recent steps taken by the party to foster dialogue with the Turkish government and with Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned PKK leader. Öcalan has been serving a life sentence on the island of Imrali, near Istanbul, since 1999.

Last December, representatives of DEM met Öcalanmarking the party's first visit home in almost a decade. After the meeting, Öcalan signaled his willingness to support a new peace initiative, saying he was “ready to make a call” to advance political dialogue.

In October 2024, Demirtas expressed support for Öcalan's potential involvement in peace talks, stating: “If Öcalan takes the initiative and seeks a political solution, we will fully support it. »

President Erdogan also expressed support for reconciliation efforts. Speaking on Saturday during a visit to Diyarbakir, Turkey's largest majority-Kurdish city, Erdogan described the ongoing peace process as a “historic opportunity” to end terrorism.

A new window has opened for our nation to eliminate terrorism once and for all, Erdogan said. We are giving these groups the opportunity to lay down their arms and transform into legitimate political organizations.

The PKK began its armed campaign against the Turkish government in 1984. The group seeks greater autonomy for Türkiye's Kurdish minority. Turkey does not officially recognize the Kurds as a distinct group in its constitution. The conflict has left more than 40,000 dead, including Turkish soldiers and Kurdish fighters.

The PKK, considered a “terrorist” group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

DEM MPs are expected to meet on Sunday with the party's other former co-chair, Figen Yuksekdag, who is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence on charges related to alleged terrorist propaganda.

As fighting continues across the border in Syria, where Kurdish, Syrian and other forces are fighting in a power vacuum following President Bashar al-Assad's weakening grip, these talks could mark a turning point in a conflict that has long shaped regional dynamics.

Ankara and the pro-Kurdish opposition appear cautiously optimistic about the path forward, signaling potential changes in one of Turkey's most entrenched conflicts.

(Credit: AFP)

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