The İmralı Delegation of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which has been meeting with political parties following the historic call made by Abdullah Öcalan on February 27, has also requested a meeting with Erdoğan.

In a statement to reporters earlier today, Erdoğan said, “If an appointment is requested, I will give it.”

Background

A seven-member delegation held a meeting with the Kurdish People’s Leader, Abdullah Öcalan, in İmralı F Type High Security Closed Prison on 27 February. The delegation consisted of Sırrı Süreyya Önder, 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. Öcalan's fellow prisoners in İmralı, Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş, also attended the meeting.

The İmralı Delegation then conveyed the ‘Call for Peace and Democratic Society’ made by Abdullah Öcalan. The Kurdish leader highlighted the inevitable need for a democratic society and political space and called on all groups to lay their arms and the PKK to dissolve itself.

Responding to Öcalan’s call on 1 March, the Executive Committee of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) said: “We agree with the content of the call as it is and state that we will fully comply with and implement the requirements of the call on our part. However, we would like to underline that democratic politics and legal grounds must also be secured for its success.”

In order to pave the way for the implementation of Öcalan’s Call for Peace and Democratic Society, the PKK declared a ceasefire, stating: “None of our forces will take armed action unless attacked. Beyond this, only the practical leadership of Leader Öcalan can make matters such as laying down arms practical.”

The PKK said they were also ready to convene the party congress as Öcalan asked, adding, “In order for this to happen, a suitable security environment must be created, and Leader Öcalan must personally direct and lead it to make it successful. However, only Leader Öcalan can take over the leadership of the era of peace and democratic society.”