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A delegation from the pro-Kurdish People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) held a second meeting Wednesday on İmralı Island with imprisoned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan, as speculation grows over a possible call for the militant group to lay down its arms, the Artı-Gerçek news website reported.
The four-hour meeting comes nearly a month after Öcalan's first known political contact in nine years, when DEM Party MPs Sırrı Süreyya Önder and Pervin Buldan, along with veteran Kurdish politician Ahmet Türk, visited him on December 28. The delegation is expected to release a written statement Thursday detailing the discussions.
Reports indicate that Öcalan may issue a historic statement on February 15, the 26th anniversary of his capture by Turkish intelligence, calling on the PKK to lay down its arms. According to journalist Ferit Aslan of Medyascope, the potential announcement could include calls for "the dissolution of the PKK," "ending the group's armed presence in Turkey," or a broader appeal.
Sources familiar with the discussions said the DEM Party delegation briefed Öcalan on their recent meetings with Turkey's key political actors, including the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). Concerns raised by these parties, particularly over the transparency of the process and its management within the framework of parliament, were reportedly conveyed to Öcalan.
The renewed dialogue follows an unexpected political opening last year, when MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, a staunch nationalist and close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, shook hands with DEM Party MPs in parliament on October 1, signaling a dramatic shift in his stance. In a further surprise, Bahçeli later suggested that Öcalan be allowed to address the DEM Party's parliamentary group and call for the disbanding of the PKK.
The December 28 meeting on İmralı was seen as a direct outcome of this shift. Following that visit, the DEM Party delegation engaged in talks with Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, Bahçeli and representatives from the AKP, CHP, the New Welfare Party (YRP), the Future Party and the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA). They also met with Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, the jailed the former co-chairs of the DEM Party's predecessor, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).
While Bahçeli has publicly called for the PKK's "unconditional dissolution," many observers question whether the militant group would agree to lay down arms without receiving any concessions. Turkish officials have long demanded the complete disbanding of the PKK and the expulsion of its senior leaders from Syria, where the group maintains close ties with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently reiterated Ankara's stance, stating that Turkey would not tolerate any arrangement allowing the YPG, the Syrian Kurdish militia Ankara considers a PKK offshoot, to retain a foothold in Syria. The ruling AKP, however, has reportedly signaled a possible policy shift, with some officials suggesting that Turkey could accept a form of Kurdish self-rule in Syria if the PKK lays down its arms.