The political landscape in Turkey continues to shift as important dialogues unfold on the Kurdish question and the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned Kurdish leader. On Wednesday, former MP Ufuk Uras, who previously represented the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) and later joined the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), met with Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), at the MHP headquarters.
The meeting took place amid heightened political debate following Bahçeli’s recent remarks suggesting that Öcalan should be allowed to express his views freely. Bahçeli had previously caused controversy at the opening of the parliamentary session on 1 October when he shook hands with deputies from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) and later proposed that Öcalan address parliament under certain conditions.
After the meeting, Uras shared his thoughts on social media, saying: “We exchanged views on the perspective recently outlined by Mr Bahçeli. I thank him for his interest and the discussion.” On the same day, Uras also met with DEM Party leaders, including co-chair Tuncer Bakırhan and spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan, and stressed the DEM Party’s willingness to contribute to dialogue and reconciliation efforts.
Speaking to T24, Uras revealed more details, including Bahçeli’s discussion with President Erdoğan. According to Uras, Bahçeli said: “President Erdoğan came to me at the beginning of last month and said, ‘Let’s solve this on our own, without involving others.’ I then asked, ‘Who will do it? I shook hands with the DEM Party group, offered my condolences and made this statement about Öcalan expressing his own views without external suggestions.” Uras described Bahçeli’s gestures, including his handshake with the DEM deputies, as symbolically significant.
In an interview with Gazete Duvar, Uras highlighted Bahçeli’s recognition of the importance of involving civil society, intellectuals and the arts in supporting reconciliation efforts. He stressed the need for social participation in order to achieve lasting solutions.
Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı, a journalist known for his pro-government stance, also commented on the significance of the Bahçeli-Uras meeting. On social media, Kütahyalı described the meeting as “historic” and highlighted Bahçeli’s apparent willingness to reconcile. According to Kütahyalı, Bahçeli told Uras: “We have been fighting since the 1960s. It’s time to end these conflicts”. Kütahyalı went on to suggest that a meeting between Uras and Öcalan could serve as a transformative step and a “game-changer” in discussions on peace and reconciliation.
Bahçeli’s remarks and Uras’s engagement have reignited debates on dialogue and reconciliation, suggesting that cross-ideological alliances could play a role in addressing the Kurdish question in Turkey.
