Imrali Delegation, Turkish President Discuss New Phase in Peace Process

DEM Party's Media

The Imrali Delegation's meeting with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Imrali Delegation, including lawmakers of the People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), met on Monday, 7 July 2025, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. 

The meeting, which lasted just over an hour, brought together Erdogan, Efkan Ala, a senior figure in his ruling AKP, and spy chief Ibrahim Kalin with DEM lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar.

"Our delegation conveyed their views and suggestions on the new stage the process has reached and what to do next," the DEM lawmakers said in a brief statement after the talks.

DEM Party lawmaker Buldan called the meeting "historic".

"The process is now entering a new phase in which consultations are needed," she told reporters before the meeting.

"It is important to consult to take the necessary steps," she added, saying the sides would "exchange views".

Fellow DEM Party lawmaker Mithat Sancar said the new phase was "very important" and that they would use the meeting to "share our views" and to "listen to them".

"We will consult with the president and his delegation about the characteristics of this new phase and the upcoming requirements."

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

The Imrali delegation met on Sunday with Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), at  the Imrali Island Prison. 

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

The statement added: "Mr. Ocalan 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."

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 Ocalan, 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 Ocalan and the Turkish state. Since the beginning of the renewed peace process, the delegation has held six meetings with Ocalan at Imrali Prison.




PUKMEDIA