Turkish parliamentary delegation makes first visit to jailed PKK leader Ocalan

ISTANBUL: A delegation from a Turkish parliamentary commission overseeing the disarmament of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group paid their first visit to its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan on Monday, the parliamentary speaker's office said.

In their meeting in a prison on the island of Imrali off Istanbul, the delegation asked Ocalan about the PKK's dissolution and disarmament as well as the implementation of an agreement with the Syrian government and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a statement said.

Fighters with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) walk to a disarmament ceremony marking a significant step toward ending the decades-long conflict between Turkey and the outlawed group, in the Qandil mountains, Iraq October 26, 2025.PHOTO:  REUTERS

According to Daily Sabah, the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday welcomed a parliamentary committee’s decision to visit PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in prison, calling it a step that could “accelerate an end to terrorism” as Türkiye pursues a “terror-free” initiative.

The visit was endorsed by the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Committee, created last August to guide the initiative launched by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, who had urged lawmakers to engage Öcalan directly. While three parties abstained, the AK Party, MHP and the pro-PKK DEM Party will send representatives to Imrali Island this week.