Türkiye allows pro-Kurdish party to meet with Öcalan

According to Isna, the permission to hold this meeting is the first of its kind in nearly a decade.

The Turkish Democratic Party delegation is expected to go to Imrali Island prison on Thursday or Friday, Daily Sabah said on its website without citing a source.

According to Reuters, the decision was made after a key ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the move as part of efforts to end the 40-year conflict between the government and the outlawed militant group, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party of Turkey. He suggested to the P.K.K.

The conflict between the Turkish government and the Kurds, especially the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), is one of the longest and most complex internal conflicts in Turkey. These conflicts started in 1984 and continue in different forms. The PKK, founded in 1978 under the leadership of Abdullah Ocalan, declared its main goal to establish autonomy or independence for the Kurds of Türkiye.

Ocalan’s arrest

Abdullah Ocalan was arrested on February 15, 1999 during a joint intelligence operation between Türkiye and several other countries in Nairobi, Kenya. After his arrest, Öcalan was transferred to Türkiye and tried in court on charges of terrorism, armed rebellion against the Turkish government, and responsibility for the deaths of thousands of people. He was initially sentenced to death, but after the death penalty was abolished in Türkiye in 2002, his sentence was changed to life imprisonment.

Öcalan has been accused of the following: leading an armed group that fought against the Turkish government and sought separatism; planning and carrying out armed attacks that have resulted in the death of more than 40,000 people, including soldiers, civilians and security forces; Financing of terrorism and cooperation with international networks to advance the goals of PKK.

Since his arrest, Ocalan has been kept in Imrali Island prison in the Sea of ​​Marmara for more than 25 years. He lives in extreme isolation and his only contact with the outside world has been through his defense lawyers and some family members.

Conflicts between Türkiye and the Kurds

Since the establishment of the PKK, armed conflicts between this group and the Turkish government have caused instability and many human casualties. These conflicts are mainly concentrated in the Kurdish regions of southeastern Türkiye, but in some cases, they have been extended to big cities. Despite several rounds of ceasefires and peace talks, including efforts in 2015-2012, the conflict continues.

The issue of Kurds in Türkiye is still considered one of the main challenges of this country due to political, ethnic and geopolitical complications. Despite the arrest of Öcalan, the PKK is still active and the conflict remains without a lasting solution.

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