A delegation from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) met with main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel on Dec. 22, as part of ongoing outreach efforts linked to a renewed peace initiative.
DEM Party lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, accompanied by lawyer Faik Özgür Erol, were received by CHP's deputy parliamentary head Murat Emir at the party headquarters in Ankara.
Buldan described the talks as “very important and very productive,” saying discussions focused in detail on the progress of the initiative.
“We attach great importance to the constructive role of the CHP at this historical turning point,” Buldan said. “The Kurdish issue is a matter above politics, and solving this problem is everyone’s duty.”
The DEM Party delegation is scheduled to continue its meetings on Dec. 23 with Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç and Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and is expected to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a later date.
The group has already held talks with representatives of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Nationalist Movement Party, the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA Party), the Future Party and the Workers’ Party of Türkiye (TİP).
The outreach comes as a parliamentary commission overseeing the government’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative works to merge separate party reports into a single framework expected to guide future legislation.
The National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission last convened on Dec. 4 for its 19th meeting, following a cross-party visit to jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan on the İmralı prison island on Nov. 24.
Lawmakers from the AKP, DEM Party and MHP took part in the İmralı visit, while the CHP and the New Path bloc — which includes the DEVA, Felicity and Future parties — declined to participate. The İYİ (Good) Party remains the only major party fully boycotting the initiative.
