A parliamentary commission tasked to tackle political and legal aspects of the "terror-free Türkiye" project has decided to send a delegation to meet jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, but the main opposition announced that it won’t take part in the mission.
In its 18th meeting under the leadership of Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission discussed whether a delegation should be deployed to the İmralı prison island where Öcalan is serving life.
Following deliberations from the commission members, the panel has decided to put the visit to a vote in a closed session.
With the majority votes of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), the panel decided to make the visit.
In accordance with the decision, each political party at the commission will deploy one member to the delegation.
The vote took place in the absence of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) which has beforehand announced its decision not to be a part of the visit during the same meeting.
“We disapprove being part of the visit. But we will continue to stay in the commission and give our support to the terror-free Türkiye bid,” deputy parliamentary leader of the CHP, Murat Emir, told the panel.
He cited ongoing undemocratic moves by the government and the continued crackdown on the CHP’s elected mayors and other officials, stressing that such a visit to İmralı under these conditions would be of no use.
Gülüstan Kılıç Koçyiğit of the DEM Party indirectly criticized the CHP’s decision for not sending a member to the delegation, stressing “Those who are in this commission should take responsibility and stay on the right side of the history. Because this is a historic mission.”
Earlier in the day, MHP deputy leader Feti Yıldız underlined that the panel would go to İmralı with or without the participation of the CHP. “CHP is one of the most rooted political parties. Their participation would be important,” Yıldız said, but repeating the determination of the AKP and the MHP for such a visit.
The commission was set after PKK announced its decision to dissolve and disarm in May upon a historic call by Öcalan. A first group of members dropped and burned their weapons in July, and the terror group withdrew all its members from the Turkish territories in late October.
The 51-member commission has members from all political parties represented at Parliament, except for the İYİ (Good) Party. It has listened to the views and recommendations of civil society, academics, experts and other relevant institutions in the past 17 meetings and is about to begin writing its report.
