Turkey’s Kurdish Leaders Engage in Peace Dialogue with Jailed Politician
A meeting between the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party and jailed Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtas marks a significant step towards addressing Turkey’s decades-long conflict. This interaction emphasizes the importance of various Kurdish leaders, including Abdullah Ocalan, in peace talks. President Erdogan’s calls for the PKK’s disarmament and cooperation with Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli suggest a potential pathway to resolution.
A delegation from Turkey’s prominent pro-Kurdish political party, the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), recently met with Selahattin Demirtas, a significant figure in the Kurdish movement, who is currently incarcerated. This meeting, conducted at Edirne prison near the Greek border, represents a key development in a cautious effort to resolve the nation’s long-standing conflict, which has persisted for 40 years.
Demirtas was imprisoned in 2016 on terrorism-related charges, widely regarded by observers, including the European Court of Human Rights, as politically motivated. This meeting came shortly after DEM members also met Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been involved in an armed struggle against the Turkish state since the 1980s.
In a social media statement following the meeting, Demirtas urged all parties to concentrate on a shared future. He acknowledged Ocalan’s potential role in promoting peace, indicating a possibility that the PKK might disarm eventually. Ocalan has been serving a life sentence since 1999 and remains influential among Turkey’s Kurdish population despite his imprisonment.
Ahmet Turk, another member of the DEM delegation, expressed the interdependence of Turks and Kurds in striving for democracy within Turkey. The prolonged conflict has led to significant loss of life, emphasizing the need for effective peace initiatives. Past attempts at peace have failed despite various efforts over the years.
During a recent address, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged for the disbandment of the PKK and the surrendering of their weapons, laying the groundwork for potential enhancement of DEM’s development. He articulated the desire to consign the long-standing separatist conflict to history.
In a surprising turn, Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party aligned with Erdogan, indicated that Ocalan could be granted parole should he condemn violence and dismantle the PKK, to which Erdogan appeared to lend tacit support. Ocalan has expressed his readiness to engage in peace efforts, as conveyed through his nephew.
The recent meeting between Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party delegation and jailed leader Selahattin Demirtas reflects incremental progress towards peace in a 40-year conflict. The ongoing dialogue among key figures hints at a potential shift towards reconciliation. Both political figures and party leaders emphasize the importance of mutual cooperation for a democratic future, amidst calls for disarmament and trust-building efforts essential for enduring resolution.
Original Source: abcnews.go.com
