Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party held key meetings with opposition leaders in Ankara this week, in a political initiative that follows the recent prison visit to jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and growing discussion around the Kurdish question.
DEM Party co-chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan met main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel on Tuesday at the CHP’s headquarters. The delegation included senior DEM Party figures Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit and Sezai Temelli, and was received by CHP’s Selin Sayek Böke, Meryem Gül Çiftçi Binici and Murat Emir. The closed-door meeting lasted one hour and 20 minutes.
The visit was part of a broader DEM Party strategy to engage with Turkey’s political spectrum following a rare prison visit to Öcalan on 19 May and amid internal debate within the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) about its future.
Earlier, the DEM Party officials met with Democracy and Progress (DEVA) Party and Felicity Party (SAADET) representatives on Monday, and following the CHP visit on Tuesday they visited the Islamist New Welfare Party (YRP), where talks with leader Fatih Erbakan and senior YRP officials were held behind closed doors.
The DEM Party says it aims to build democratic alliances and push for a resolution to the Kurdish question through parliamentary channels, calling for an end to political isolation and repression in Turkey.
Related article
Turkey peace talks: DEM Party proposes fully authorised parliamentary commission at opposition talks
