Delegation Heads to Island Prison for Rare Meeting with PKK Founder

A delegation from Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM Party has traveled to the high-security prison island of Imrali. Their stated purpose is to meet with Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Ocalan has been held in isolation on Imrali Island since his capture in 1999. The PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. Access to Ocalan is extremely limited and controlled by Turkish authorities. These occasional visits by political delegations are closely watched. They are seen as significant events in Turkish politics and Kurdish affairs. The DEM Party, a major legal political force representing Kurdish interests, did not provide further details about the meeting's agenda. The Turkish government has not yet issued a statement regarding the visit.