ANKARA - DEM Party's İmralı delegation made a statement regarding the 2-week tour. The statement read: "We have focused on the fact that the Parliament and democratic politics constitute the most important ground for the solution of the problem. Continued public support for our efforts will be the most valuable building block in the construction of peace and solution."

 

Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Imrali Delegation Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya Önder made the first political contact with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who was kept under isolation in İmralı on 28 December. Following this political contact, the delegation started a two-week information tour in which it visited the political parties with groups in the parliament and prisoners in prison on the axis of 7 basic messages and this tour ended on 12 January.

 

Information on the negotiations

 

The delegation issued a written statement on all these developments. The full written statement is as follows:

 

"Following our meeting with Mr. Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı on 28 December 2024. Following our meeting with Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı on 28 December 2024, we held a series of meetings with the Turkish Grand National Assembly, political parties and fellow politicians in prison upon the results of this meeting and his request.

 

On 3 January, we started with the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Mr. Numan Kurtulmuş. Our visits and meetings started with Mr. Numan Kurtulmuş, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and continued with the chairmen and representatives of the Nationalist Movement Party, the Future Party, the Justice and Development Party, the Felicity Party, the Republican People's Party, the Deva Party and the Yeniden Refah Party.

 

On 11-12 January, we held meetings with our former co-presidents and fellow politicians Figen Yüksekdağ, Selahattin Demirtaş, Leyla Güven and Selçuk Mızraklı who are being held in prison.

 

Thanks to the parties

 

These dialogue and peace-oriented talks and exchange of ideas have been initiated and are continuing with our Co-General Presidents and party boards, political parties and formations that make up our party component, political parties and non-governmental organisations with which we are in alliance.

 

First of all, we would like to express our sincere respect and gratitude to all political parties and their leaders who welcomed us with courtesy and kindness, shared their valuable opinions and suggestions, and expressed their concerns and criticisms in a very constructive manner.

 

İmralı meeting was conveyed and evaluated

 

The main axis of our visit agenda was the transfer of the results of our meeting with Mr Öcalan and the mutual evaluation of the new situation that emerged. In summary, they focussed on the willingness and will to make a positive contribution to finding a lasting solution to the Kurdish problem and the resulting conflict, the historical responsibility of strengthening the Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood, the responsibility imposed by the profound and irreversible developments in the Middle East, and the fact that the Turkish Grand National Assembly and democratic politics constitute the most important ground for the solution of the problem.

 

Parties declared their support for the peace process

 

Almost all the meetings were cordial and promisingly positive. The leaders and their delegations expressed their support for the peace process in principle. However, they also had concerns and suggestions on various issues.

 

These mainly centred on the transparency of the process and its conduct/execution within the Turkish Grand National Assembly. During these meetings, our delegation made statements and presentations to address these concerns and question marks.

 

The impression we have gained from the meetings is that there is a common desire and will among all political parties to leave behind the conflictual and tense process arising from the Kurdish question.

 

It is a common opinion that it is in the interest and good of everyone to develop the unity and brotherhood of all ethnic, religious and sectarian elements in our country. A parallel point is that the peace process should lead to general democratisation and the expansion of the space for democratic politics.

 

Positive contribution and responsibility message from prison

 

Our discussions with our presidents and friends in prisons have been very positive. They expressed their clear support for the role of Mr. They expressed their open support for the role of Öcalan and the DEM Party in this process and stated that they would fulfil their responsibility to contribute positively to the strengthening of the political and social ground.

 

New visit as soon as possible

 

In this period when we are focusing on peace, democracy and brotherhood for Turkey and the region, the divisive and prejudiced style we encounter from time to time in the print and broadcast media and the speculation space created by this makes our work difficult.

 

Everyone, every social segment has expectations and hopes as well as concerns, sensitivities and question marks regarding this process. We are aware of this. While this is the case, producing and circulating fabricated discourses that cannot even be called hearsay and trying to create agendas that even push the moral boundaries in places is to be connected to war-mongering as a result.

 

With all our good impressions, we will pay a visit to Mr. Öcalan as soon as possible. We will pay a visit to Mr. Öcalan as soon as possible with all our good impressions and we will spare no effort to ensure that the process reaches peace through healthy methods.

 

Continued public support for our efforts will be the most valuable building block in the construction of peace and solution.

 

With our love and respect.’