Turkey’s Kurdish Peace Push: Erdoğan Meeting Sparks Urgent Call for Öcalan Talks

The delegation from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM Party met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at his presidential complex in Ankara on Thursday. The meeting came immediately after parliament approved a framework law seen as a key step in a new peace process. Following the talks, the delegation issued a statement stressing the need for speed. “We must meet with Abdullah Öcalan as soon as possible,” the group said, referring to the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The DEM Party’s “İmralı delegation” has been acting as an intermediary in renewed efforts to end a decades-long conflict. The group’s visit to Erdoğan signals high-level political backing for the initiative. Analysts say the quick succession of events—the law’s passage, the presidential meeting, and the push for direct talks with Öcalan—shows a coordinated effort to maintain momentum. No further details on the content of Thursday’s discussion were released.