Peregraf
Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), declared that he has the "theoretical and practical power" to transition the ongoing conflict from violence to a political and legal process if the conditions allow. This message was shared by his nephew, Omer Ocalan, following a rare in-person family visit on Wednesday at Turkey's Imrali prison—their first direct contact in almost four years.
Omer Ocalan, a pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) MP, posted on X, stating that the family had not seen Abdullah Ocalan in person since March 2020. "As a family, we met with Mr. Ocalan after many years," he said, also calling for routine family visits, a legal right, to resume without hindrance.
Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on Imrali Island since 1999, emphasized that his isolation remains in place but reassured his family that he is in good health. His last communication with them had been a brief phone call with his elder brother in March 2021, after which numerous attempts for visits were rejected.
The DEM Party, frequently accused of having ties to the PKK, campaigns for Kurdish autonomy, while the PKK is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies. Despite the tensions, Ocalan’s latest message hints at the possibility of a strategic shift if political circumstances evolve.
Meanwhile, tensions flared on Wednesday as a deadly attack in Ankara was attributed to the PKK by Turkish officials. In retaliation, Turkey launched strikes on alleged PKK positions in the Kurdistan Region and Syria, leading to reported civilian casualties in northeastern Syria.
In a separate political development, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli stirred debate by proposing that Ocalan be allowed to address the Turkish parliament and formally declare the dissolution of the PKK. This idea gained unexpected support from Ozgur Ozel, the leader of Turkey’s largest opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), if it could lead to an end to violence.