PKK chief Öcalan consults with his legal counsel for the first time in six years
In a significant development, a parliamentary commission in Turkey began its work in August to create a legal framework for a peace process. This comes after the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a group that Turkey and its Western allies still consider a terrorist organisation, announced its dissolution in May and declared an end to its decades-long armed struggle for Kurdish rights.
The peace process aims to provide legal protections for disarmed PKK fighters, initiate direct talks with the imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan, and ease measures against the political Kurdish opposition. The focus is on sustaining momentum for reforms and reducing societal tensions through moderate rhetoric.
The PKK has been undergoing disarmament for two months, and on Monday, Abdullah Öcalan, the founder of the PKK, met with his lawyers for the first time in years. This meeting took place on the island of Imrali, following a six-year break in visits for Öcalan and other inmates. The lawyers' visit was announced by the law firm Asrin Hukuk on Wednesday.
The fighting between the PKK and the Turkish army has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths since 1984. However, no new information about potential refugee influx to Europe due to PKK dissolution has been provided.
It is worth noting that representatives of the pro-Kurdish party DEM had visited Öcalan in prison several times since December 2024, but this had not been permitted since 2019.
In early July, 30 PKK fighters symbolically burned their weapons at a ceremony in the Kurdish part of Iraq. Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999 for treason, called for the dissolution and weapon burning. He recently stated that the peace process and the democratic society had reached the phase of the 'legal solution' of the Kurdish conflict.
However, no new information about Öcalan's meeting with his lawyers was provided in this paragraph. The meeting on the island of Imrali, the peace process, and the democratic society being at the phase of the 'legal solution' of the Kurdish conflict were not mentioned in this paragraph either.
As the peace process unfolds, it is crucial to monitor developments closely and assess their impact on the region. The disarmament of the PKK and the potential for dialogue with Öcalan represent significant steps towards resolving the long-standing Kurdish conflict in Turkey.
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