Omer Ocalan, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) lawmaker, talked about his notes from a meeting he had with Ocalan in a high-security prison on Imrali Island in the Sea of Marmara during a parliamentary session on Thursday.
Omer Ocalan was allowed to visit his uncle on October 23 after a hiatus of almost four years following an unexpected call from far-right politician Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Bahceli surprised many when he suggested in October that if prison restrictions imposed on Ocalan were lifted, he could appear at the party group meeting of the DEM Party and declare the dissolution of the PKK, signaling an end to decades of violence.
The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, has been waging a bloody war in Turkey’s southeast since 1984. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict.
Bahceli also suggested that if Ocalan takes this step, there could be legislative action to pave the way for his possible release.
Erdogan backed Bahceli’s call, saying that a “historic opportunity” to resolve the Kurdish issue should not be missed.
The “Kurdish issue,” a term prevalent in Turkey’s public discourse, refers to the demand for equal rights by the country’s Kurdish population and their struggle for recognition.
Omer Ocalan said his uncle told him the Kurdish issue could be resolved through dialogue in a manner that would benefit both Turks and Kurds and that he is prepared to take the necessary action to achieve this.
The younger Ocalan said his uncle recalled comments he made while onboard a plane from Kenya to Turkey after his abduction by Turkish intelligence agents in Nairobi in 1999. He suggested that he would help find a solution to the Turkish-Kurdish conflict, but he expressed disappointment that his remarks were interpreted as an attempt to save himself from imprisonment.
“If the truth be told, I love Turkey and the Turkish nation and I want to serve it. If I have the chance, I would be pleased to serve. Let there be no torture or anything. I would be happy to serve,” Ocalan told Turkish special forces onboard the plane at the time.
Ocalan was initially sentenced to death at the end of his trial. His sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in October 2002 after Turkey abolished the death penalty as part of its European Union membership process.
Omer Ocalan said his uncle discussed President Erdogan’s potential role in resolving the Kurdish issue. He mentioned that Erdogan could assume a different position if he successfully addresses the problem, without elaborating.
“The president and his party have been in power for 22 years. He has done many positive and negative things and has held various positions. However, if he resolves the Kurdish issue, he could take on a different role. If Mr. Erdogan takes the initiative and plays his part in solving this problem, Turkey will move in a completely different direction. It will be able to export peace to the Middle East and become a center of peace for the region,” Omer Ocalan quoted his uncle as saying.
Abdullah Ocalan also talked about the importance of the involvement of the Turkish nationalists in finding a solution to the Kurdish issue, expressing the belief that if they are convinced of a solution for the future and the democratic development of Turkey, the country will take a path for the better.
Omer Ocalan said the PKK stands behind any decisions Ocalan will make about the solution to the conflict.
“Mr. Ocalan has conducted a thorough analysis of Kurdish-Turkish relations spanning a thousand years and has proposed a solution. We are in favor of achieving peace, and we will collaborate with anyone who can contribute to this effort,” Omer Ocalan added.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunc said on Tuesday an application from the DEM Party to meet with Ocalan is under consideration, without giving details.
“The process continues. We will work to determine an appropriate day,” Tunc said.
Erdogan’s nationalist ally proposed last month that the DEM Party hold direct talks with Abdullah Ocalan.
DEM applied to the justice ministry on November 26 for its co-chairs to meet with Öcalan in order to start a dialogue between the government and the PKK.
Turkey’s previous attempt at a peace process with the PKK collapsed in 2015.