Imrali Delegation to Meet Turkish President Following Talks with Öcalan

ANF

DEM Party parliamentarians Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar.

The Imrali Delegation is scheduled to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday, 7 July 2025. The meeting follows their visit on Sunday to Imrali Island Prison, where they held discussions with Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The Imrali delegation comprised three members: Pervin Buldan, Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) parliamentarian and a prominent figure in Kurdish politics; Mithat Sancar, also a DEM Party parliamentarian; and Özgür Faik Eroğlu, a lawyer. 

Sharing the result of their meeting with the PKK leader on Sunday, 6 July 2025, the Imrali delegation said in a statement: "Today, as a delegation, we held a very productive meeting with Mr. Abdullah Öcalan at Imrali Prison, which lasted two and a half hours."

The statement added: "Mr. Öcalan was in good health and spirits. In our meeting, he emphasized that the process is transitioning into a new phase. He stated that with the new steps to be taken, everyone, all of us, has responsibilities to fulfill the requirements of this process."

"He stressed that he attaches great importance to the meeting our delegation members will have with the President and described this meeting as historic. Similarly, he underlined that the commission to be established in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey will also play a major role in peace and resolution," the statement said.

"We saw that his hope, confidence, and faith in this process contributing as a whole to Turkey’s democratisation are extremely strong," it added.

During the meeting, we received information that soldiers lost their lives due to methane gas poisoning in the territory of the Kurdistan Regional Government today. This incident caused profound sorrow in Mr. Öcalan and in all of us. On this occasion, we wish God’s mercy upon those who lost their lives and extend our condolences to their families and loved ones."

The talks come ahead of a planned PKK disarmament ceremony, which could mark a historic turning point in the conflict. According to a recent PKK announcement, “a group of guerrilla fighters will descend from the mountains and lay down their arms as a gesture of goodwill towards peace and democratic politics.” The ceremony is anticipated to take place between 10 and 12 July 2025 in Sulaymaniyah.

In May, the PKK publicly declared its intention to disband and renounce armed struggle, signaling an end to more than forty years of armed conflict. The decision followed a call issued in February by Öcalan, who has been incarcerated on Imrali Island since 1999, urging the group to convene a congress and formally disarm.

The latest progress stems from sustained efforts by the Imrali Delegation, which has facilitated dialogue between Öcalan and the Turkish state. Since the beginning of the renewed peace process, the delegation has held six meetings with Öcalan at Imrali Prison.

The group’s first official meeting with President Erdoğan took place on 10 April 2025. 



PUKMEDIA