“Sırrı Süreyya Önder is fighting, he is resisting – and with the prayers and solidarity of our people, he will return,” said Tuncer Bakırhan, co-chair of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, during a press statement outside Florence Nightingale Hospital in İstanbul on Thursday.
Bakırhan spoke in front of the hospital where Sırrı Süreyya Önder – a prominent politician, poet and a member of the İmralı Delegation that led talks with jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan – remains under medical treatment following surgery earlier this week.
Önder, who has long been a respected figure in Turkey’s peace movement, is known for his role in negotiations that once sought to resolve the decades-long Kurdish conflict through dialogue. His hospitalisation has triggered a wave of support from across Turkey’s political spectrum.
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“All the peoples and faiths of Turkey came here, concerned about Mr Önder’s health and to show their solidarity,” Bakırhan said. “This place has never been left empty, day or night.”
Alongside Bakırhan, DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Keskin Bayındır, DEM Party Spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan, and several MPs also gathered to address the media and express support.
Bakırhan thanked the President, the Speaker of Parliament, opposition party leaders, and civil society groups for showing concern and unity. He credited the “colours of Turkey” for standing together, not just in worry, but in recognition of Önder’s decades-long advocacy for peace and democratic reform.
“He has fought for peace and democracy for years. He has overcome many hardships. I am confident that he will overcome this one as well,” Bakırhan said.
The DEM Party leader urged the public not to give credence to unofficial reports and insisted that the only reliable updates on Önder’s condition were those made by the hospital’s doctors and management.
“Please, do not give credence to various interpretations and speculations. We are in one of Turkey’s best hospitals. There is no room for doubt,” he stated.
According to Bakırhan, the medical team has reported encouraging progress, with Önder improving daily. “Our doctor friends have said that every day he is making more progress than the day before. We trust them.”
Bakırhan concluded by saying that Önder’s health battle had evolved into a moment of national unity.
“Yes, they were concerned about his health, but above all, they stood in solidarity because of his fight for peace, for democracy, for his honourable struggle.”
Önder, a key figure in Turkey’s political left and Kurdish peace efforts, remains in recovery, as supporters continue to gather outside the hospital in a rare moment of bipartisan empathy and collective hope.
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