An MP for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has indicated that Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s administration is now aware that a solution to the current crisis regarding the Kurdish question lies in the involvement of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), in political processes.
Dirayet Dilan Taşdemir, deputy for Turkey’s Kurdish-majority province of Ağrı (Agırî), has underlined that the severe isolation imposed upon Öcalan has gotten even worse within the last six years. However, the unique role he could play in resolving the conflict was apparent for everyone.
“We have experienced, and actually do know that whenever Mr. Öcalan was involved in the process or could make his views public, it led towards the resolution of the crisis and towards a consensus,” she said.
“Today, the current situation in the country and the deepening political crisis, as well as the developments in the Middle East, show that these are all related to the isolation in the İmralı prison (…) The role of Öcalan is clear regarding peace talks in Turkey, regarding resolution of the Kurdish question, and regarding relations with the Middle East particularly on issues of democratisation.”
Taşdemir stated that the failure of the administration’s attempts at eradicating the Kurdish political movement by force and judicial means in recent years has actually highlighted the crucial role that could be played by Öcalan in finding a solution to the deadlock. She said:
“In the last six years, they have both aggravated the isolation, and also tried silencing the demands of the Kurds through political operations of eradication and liquidation (…) We are now faced with the reality that these policies of the political administration have failed. It seems they see İmralı as a solution to this situation. We have been emphasising this for years (…) The way to do this is to lift the isolation in the İmralı prison, and enable a contact between Mr. Öcalan and the people.”