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Ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Parliamentary Group Chair Abdullah Guler said Wednesday that his party views a possible visit to Imrali Island, where PKK ringleader Abdullah Ocalan is imprisoned, “positively,” signaling a potential shift in tone amid rising political tensions in Ankara.
The remarks came days after Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahceli declared, “If necessary, I will go to Imrali,” prompting intense debate across political circles. All eyes are now on Friday, when the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission is expected to hold a vote on whether to proceed with an official visit to the island prison.
Both the pro-Kurdish DEM Party and the MHP have already expressed their support for the visit.
Speaking after an internal AK Party meeting in Parliament chaired by Deputy Chair Efkan Ala, Guler said party lawmakers had discussed the matter and were open to the proposal.
“We discussed it with our colleagues. We view the Imrali issue positively. This is a listening process, so a vote in the commission may not be necessary,” Guler said. “The person who will go to Imrali has not been finalized yet; it will be evaluated. If there is a vote in the commission, we as the AK Party will vote in favor.”
The closed-door meeting began around 3:20 p.m. and lasted approximately one hour.
Bahceli, a key parliamentary ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has repeatedly pressed for renewed engagement with Ocalan to advance Türkiye’s stalled peace process. He urged the parliamentary commission, formed in August and tasked with overseeing reconciliation efforts, to meet with Ocalan and accused it of dragging its feet.
Earlier this month, Bahceli further intensified debate by stating it could be “auspicious” for Türkiye to release imprisoned former pro-Kurdish party co-chair Selahattin Demirtas.
Bahceli first called for renewed dialogue in October 2024. In February, Ocalan issued a statement from prison urging the PKK to disband and lay down arms.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union, convened its congress in May and announced its dissolution, following Ocalan’s February call to end the group’s decades-long attacks.
The withdrawal announcement in October culminated eight months of concrete steps taken by the PKK since Ocalan issued his call on Feb. 27. The organization declared a ceasefire on March 1 to establish what it described as "a calm and comfortable discussion environment."
Between May 5 and 7, the PKK held its 12th Congress, during which it formally decided to dissolve its organizational structure and abandon its "armed struggle strategy."
On July 11, a group of 30 PKK members—including 15 women—surrendered in Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah province and destroyed their weapons by throwing them into a burning cauldron.
Ahead of Friday’s expected vote, MHP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Erkan Akcay and Deputy Chair Feti Yildiz met with AK Party Parliamentary Group Chair Guler. Speaking after the meeting, Yildiz said the discussion was not directly related to the vote but was a general exchange of views.
Yildiz added that a simple majority would be sufficient for the commission to approve the proposed Imrali visit.
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