Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, spokesperson of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, called on parliament to take urgent steps to advance the Kurdish peace process, during a press conference in Ankara on Monday.
Speaking at the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Koçyiğit highlighted recent talks between the DEM Party’s İmralı Delegation and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a key moment to address stalled aspects of the peace process. The delegation, named after the island prison where Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), is held, met Erdoğan on 10 April to discuss resolving the decades-long conflict between the Turkish state and Kurdish groups.
Koçyiğit stressed the need to end Öcalan’s isolation, describing him as a central figure in achieving peace. “The most important actor to silence weapons and end violence is still held in isolation,” she stated. She urged the government to allow Öcalan to meet freely with delegations and work under better conditions.
The DEM Party also plans to submit a bill recognising the Anfal Massacre—a 1988 campaign by Saddam Hussein’s regime that killed tens of thousands of Kurds in Iraq—as genocide. Koçyiğit said this would help Turkey confront historical wrongs and strengthen ties between Turks and Kurds.
Reflecting on past setbacks, she pointed to the 2009 operations against the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), which she said derailed earlier peace efforts. “Those operations dragged us into a dark decade,” she warned, calling for “confidence-building measures” from the government to prevent similar failures.
Koçyiğit announced that the İmralı Delegation would meet Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç later this week to discuss legal reforms, including prisoner rights and penal code changes. She expressed frustration at parliament’s inaction, noting no steps had been taken despite months of dialogue. “Parliament must stop being a bystander and take responsibility,” she urged.
The DEM Party’s push follows Öcalan’s call for reconciliation on 27 February, which revived hopes for a political solution. Koçyiğit said the party was engaging with regional countries like Iraq and European states to support the process, framing it as part of a broader struggle for democracy in Turkey.
She also addressed broader issues, criticising the government’s proposed climate law as favouring corporate interests over environmental protection. The DEM Party plans to oppose the bill, which is set for debate this week.
