Senior figures from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party held a rare two-and-a-half-hour closed-door meeting in parliament on Wednesday, signalling a new phase in political dialogue following the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)’s announcement of its dissolution earlier this month.
The meeting began at 3pm local time (GMT+3) and brought together DEM Party Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, accompanied by Deputy Group Chairs Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit and Sezai Temelli. They were welcomed by senior AKP officials including Deputy Chair Efkan Ala, Spokesperson Ömer Çelik, and Group Deputy Chairpersons Abdullah Güler and Özlem Zengin.
Speaking after the talks, Efkan Ala said the meeting focused on broad evaluations of the political process. “The process is continuing as anticipated, with no pauses or disruptions,” he told reporters. “It is necessary to ensure that everyone contributes as much as they can to achieve a Turkey free of terrorism. Efforts toward this goal are ongoing.”
Responding to questions about the scope of a possible penal reform package, AKP Parliamentary Group Chair Abdullah Güler said: “Friends, we’ve only conducted evaluations; we’ll make a detailed statement tomorrow or the day after.”
The DEM Party’s visit to the AKP is part of a wider political engagement campaign in the wake of the PKK’s 12 May statement signalling its dissolution. On Tuesday, DEM Co-Chairs met with far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli. Earlier, they also held talks with the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), as well as the Islamist-rooted DEVA and Felicity (SAADET) parties.
The unprecedented momentum in cross-party meetings marks a potential recalibration of alliances and strategies within Turkish politics, amid efforts to redefine the role of Kurdish representation in the post-conflict landscape.
