Shafaq News/ The imprisoned founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK),Abdullah Öcalan, who is held on ?mral? Island in the Sea of Marmara, isplanning to issue a historic call in the coming days.
Tuncer Bak?rhan, the co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), saidbefore his party group in the Turkish Parliament, "We care about thiscall, support it, and stand behind it."
He added, "It is up to Erdo?an, who holds the executive power, to takea major step. The ball is now in Erdo?an's court."
In response to questions after a meeting of his party group, Bak?rhanindicated that the "historic call" could be made on February 15th, orit might come later.
The Kurdish official did not specify the nature of the "call"Öcalan plans to make in the coming days.
According to Turkish media, it is likely that Öcalan's call will be amessage directed at the members of the PKK, the party he founded decades ago.
Last Thursday, a Turkish television channel editor, who is close to theopposition, was placed in pre-trial detention, while four journalists from thesame channel were released but remained under judicial supervision.
Several months ago, Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the Nationalist MovementParty (MHP) in Turkiye, launched a specific initiative aimed at Öcalan.Bahçeli, a key ally of Turkish President Erdo?an, has had significant politicaland military influence for decades, and his statements often carry bothdomestic and international implications.
Bahçeli’s "extraordinary" initiative, presented during aparliamentary session in 2024, involves a two-part equation: "If theisolation on Öcalan is lifted, he should come and speak at the Democratic Party(pro-Kurdish) meeting in Parliament and declare that terrorism has endedcompletely and that his organization has been dissolved."
Following this initiative, Turkish authorities allowed Öcalan's family andmembers of the HDP to visit him on the island where he has been imprisonedsince 1999.
The PKK has been in conflict with Turkiye since 1984, and Ankara designatesthe party, whose members and leaders are based in the Qandil Mountains andareas in northern Iraq and northern Syria, as a "terroristorganization."