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Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahceli addressed the goal of a “terror-free Türkiye” during his party’s weekly parliamentary group meeting, making fresh remarks amid ongoing debate over a potential visit to Imrali Island, where PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan is imprisoned.
Bahceli had previously urged the recently established parliamentary commission, which handles Türkiye's peace process, to meet with Ocalan, reiterating his call on Nov. 4. As discussions continued for a second week, he took a step further to highlight his firm stance on speeding up Türkiye's peace process, as he deems the parliamentary commission is stalling the issue.
Declaring, “If no one goes, I will go (and visit Ocalan),” Bahceli turned to party members and asked: “Do you authorize me to go to Imrali?”, which was followed by prompt applause among MHP MPs.
Key points from Bahceli’s speech include: “The endless debate on whether a visit to Imrali must be resolved. If direct contact cannot be established with one of the main actors in this process, how can progress be made? If no one goes, I will take three colleagues with me and visit Imrali on my own. I would sit across the table without hesitation and say what needs to be said, looking my counterpart straight in the eye. I now address my comrades: Do you authorize me to go to Imrali? This is the true voice and will of the nation.”
Bahceli, a key parliamentary ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had said last week it could be auspicious for Türkiye to release former pro-Kurdish party co-chair Selahattin Demirtas from prison.
The remarks came as Bahceli spoke to reporters following the MHP group meeting at the Turkish Parliament. Responding to a question on Demirtas, the former co-chair of Türkiye’s pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Bahceli said: “Selahattin Demirtas has concluded through legal means. His release will be auspicious for Türkiye.”
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled twice that Demirtas’ rights were violated, and Türkiye's final appeal was rejected Monday.
In October 2024, Bahceli publicly called for renewed dialogue with Ocalan. Following these calls, Ocalan issued a message in February urging the PKK to lay down its arms and dissolve itself. A parliamentary commission was subsequently formed in August.
Reiterating his position earlier this month, Bahceli urged the commission to hold talks directly on İmralı Island.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus also commented on the debate, stating that such a meeting could be held “if Parliament and political parties reach a consensus within the legal framework.”
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