Parliament delays panel meeting amid Öcalan visit debate
ANKARA
A parliamentary commission overseeing Türkiye’s latest peace initiative postponed its Nov. 6 meeting to next week, delaying a decision on whether to send a delegation to meet with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.
Commission member Murat Emir of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) said the postponement was due to "technical reasons," with the next session scheduled for Nov. 13. The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), however, said the delay stemmed from scheduling conflicts among government officials expected to attend.
The session had been expected to debate a proposal to send lawmakers from the 51-member panel to the İmralı prison island off Istanbul, an idea introduced by the DEM and drawn backing from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). A majority of at least 31 votes is required to approve the visit.
Meanwhile, İYİ (Good) Party leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu renewed his criticism of the discussions on Nov. 5.
"Öcalan, the murderer, makes whatever statements and meets with whomever he wants," he said in a parliamentary address. “Can’t you see that this will cast a shadow over the assembly’s dignity?"
The İYİ Party remains the only major parliamentary group that has refused to join the commission, rejecting the peace initiative outright.
