Puzzling comment from Erdoğan on potential Öcalan-DEM dialogue

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan offered a cryptic response when asked about his nationalist ally Devlet Bahçeli’s proposal for direct talks between Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group, and the pro-Kurdish Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party.

Speaking to journalists followinghis Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) parliamentary group meeting today, Erdoğan was asked whether there will be a meeting between Öcalan and DEM. After a brief pause, Erdoğan replied briefly: “They’re meeting.”

His remark left room for interpretation, raising questions about whether undisclosed communication is taking place between Öcalan and DEM or if Erdoğan was referring to the Justice Ministry’s review of the DEM Party’s application to meet Öcalan following Bahçeli’s proposal.

During his address to the AKP group earlier, Erdoğan expressed full support for Bahçeli’s proposals, describing them as reflective of the political vision of the ruling People’s Alliance. “We are in complete agreement,” Erdoğan said, calling Bahçeli’s suggestion “groundbreaking.”

However, Erdoğan tempered expectations by criticizing the PKK and DEM Party’s reactions to Bahçeli’s initiatives, saying that “the picture we are faced with does not allow us to be very hopeful.” DEM has met Bahçeli’s moves with cautious optimism and criticized the recent takeover of municipalities run by the party, questioning the ruling bloc’s true intentions.

Bahçeli had previously suggested that Öcalan should address parliament to announce the disbandment of the PKK, which has triggered a debate about a potential new peace process. Yesterday, he proposed direct communication between the DEM Party and Öcalan. This second suggestion is more realistic as there would be serious legal obstacles for Öcalan, as a convict, to speak in parliament.

In the backdrop of Bahçeli’s initiatives, Öcalan had his first outside contact in nearly four years when he met his nephew, DEM Party deputy Ömer Öcalan, as part of a family visit in late October. The meeting marked a rare breach of Öcalan’s strict isolation, which has been a longstanding grievance for pro-Kurdish groups. Following the visit, however, authorities imposed a new six-month ban on lawyer access for Öcalan, further limiting his ability to communicate with the outside world.

(VK)