Lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, accompanied by lawyer Faik Özgür Erol, held talks on Dec. 13 with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli.
A delegation from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) that has been in contact with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan as part of Türkiye’s latest peace initiative is set to continue its political outreach with meetings with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Justice Ministry.
Lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, accompanied by lawyer Faik Özgür Erol, held talks last week with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, a key architect of the process, and with Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA Party) leader Ali Babacan.
According to reports on Dec. 15, the DEM Party has formally requested appointments with the AKP and the Justice Ministry, with meetings expected to take place in the coming days. In a written statement, the party said the delegation will also meet Future Party leader Ahmet Davutoğlu on Dec. 16.
A planned meeting with Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel has been postponed due to the death of the main opposition party's Şehzadeler Mayor Gülşah Durbay.
The DEM Party has maintained channels with Öcalan within the framework of the government’s "terror-free Türkiye" initiative. Under the campaign, PKK announced a ceasefire and later declared its decision to dissolve.
Political parties are now submitting their assessments to parliament’s National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, which oversees the initiative. The DEM Party, the MHP and the CHP have already filed reports outlining their views and recommendations. Media reports say the ruling AKP is expected to submit its 60-page document this week.
The commission convened for the 19th time on Dec. 4, reviewing findings from a cross-party delegation that visited Öcalan on the İmralı prison island off Istanbul on Nov. 24. Representatives from the AKP, the DEM Party and the MHP took part in the visit, while the CHP and the New Path bloc — which includes the DEVA Party, the Felicity Party and the Future Party — declined to participate.
The commission’s mandate expires on Dec. 31 but can be extended in one-month intervals if additional work is deemed necessary.
