DEM Party lawmakers brief jailed PKK leader on anti-terror panel works

ANKARA

A delegation from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) traveled to the İmralı island off Istanbul on Oct. 3 to brief jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan on the continued works of a parliamentary anti-terror panel.

The DEM Party delegation is composed of lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, as well as lawyer Özgür Faik Erol. The latest visit by the DEM Party to Öcalan took place on Aug. 28. Öcalan was also allowed to meet his lawyers on Sept. 17.

The DEM delegation’s visit comes a day after the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission held its 13th meeting.

Buldan, Sancar and Erol were expected to brief Öcalan about the works of the commission and the way forward for the accomplishment of the terror-free Türkiye bid.

In a recent statement, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, who chairs the panel, has underlined the importance of the steps to be taken by the PKK to dissolve and disarm itself. The legal and political steps to be taken alone by the parliament will not suffice to advance the process, Kurtulmuş had said, urging the PKK to speed up its disarmament process.

Following a historic call by Öcalan, the PKK announced its decision to dissolve and end its armed conflict against Türkiye in June, and a first group of terrorists dropped and burned their weapons in July in northern Iraq.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with DEM Party leaders on the sidelines of the beginning of the new legislative year on October 1 and thanked them for their roles in the terror-free Türkiye bid.