Turkey’s former main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu visited prominent pro-Kurdish politician Sırrı Süreyya Önder in hospital on Wednesday, as nationwide concern grew over the health of the influential peace advocate who remains in an induced coma following life-saving heart surgery. Önder, who is a deputy speaker of parliament and a senior figure in the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, has been sedated since undergoing emergency surgery for a ruptured aorta. On Thursday, the hospital said he was “in general responding well to treatment,” offering hope amid uncertainty.
Doctors told Kılıçdaroğlu during the visit that Önder’s medically induced coma had been extended for five more days to support recovery.
“His wit, humanity and political insight touched everyone,” Kılıçdaroğlu said after the hospital visit, calling Önder “an exceptional person and a statesman who gave so much to the people of Turkey.”
Alongside DEM Party co-chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, Kılıçdaroğlu also discussed the broader implications of Önder’s condition on Turkey’s ongoing political dialogue with Kurdish leaders.
“There is a crucial process at stake, one that concerns not only the DEM Party and the government but all of society,” Bakırhan said. “Mr Öcalan’s call speaks to all oppressed peoples, workers and women. Everyone must contribute—parties, civil society and individuals alike.”
The “process” referenced is an emerging political dialogue focusing on Kurdish rights, democratic reforms, and potentially a new approach to long-stalled peace discussions in Turkey.
Önder, known for his involvement in past peace initiatives and as a cultural bridge figure, has been seen as a key advocate for this political track. His sudden health crisis has not only shocked supporters but also delayed an anticipated meeting between the DEM Party’s İmralı Delegation and Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, which had been scheduled for 18 April.
DEM Party officials confirmed the meeting would be rescheduled once Önder’s condition stabilises, Mezopotamya Agency reported on Wednesday.
Support for Önder has cut across political lines and civil society. Throughout Wednesday, figures from across Turkey’s ideological spectrum visited the hospital or sent messages of solidarity. These included Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, CHP leader Özgür Özel, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesperson Ömer Çelik, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy chair Erkan Akçay, and Democracy and Progress (DEVA) Party head Ali Babacan. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally called Önder’s daughter to offer his best wishes.
Civil society figures, union leaders, rights activists and artists—including Eren Keskin and Menderes Samancılar—also gathered at the hospital, underscoring Önder’s wide influence beyond party politics.
Former lawmaker and activist Sabahat Tuncel, speaking at the hospital, called for legal reform, particularly the release of political and chronically ill prisoners. “This time, it is not enough to simply observe,” she said. “The Justice Law must change—this is a moment for political courage.”
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