Historic milestone in Türkiye: Nationalist MHP and Kurdish-oriented DEM start talks

The right’s National Action Party (MHP), part of the ruling People’s Alliance, held a historic and private meeting with Kurdish-oriented Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) at the Turkish Parliament on Thursday.

On Dec. 28, DEM Party announced that they would begin rounds of talks in the parliament after meeting with the founder and improsened PKK terrorist organization leader Abdullah Ocalan serving a life sentence on the prison island of Imrali in the Sea of Marmara.

Bahceli had shocked Turkish politics on Oct. 22, when he requested that Ocalan should speak at the Turkish Parliament if he is willing to tell PKK to lay down its arms and disband.

The DEM Party deputies, along the lines of Ocalan’s statement, have previously disclosed that they would not make major announcements to the press unless serious maturation in the process was noted.

DEM deputies Sirri Sureyya Onder, Ahmet Turk, and Pervin Buldan held meetings with the Speaker of Paliamnet Numan Kurtulmus followed by a meeting with MHP Chairman Devlet Bahceli.

Our Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Sirri Sureya Onder, and our Deputy Pervin Buldan, who met with Ocalan in Imrali on December 28, are starting a round of meetings with the political parties represented in the Parliament, as they have previously announced. After the visit to Imrali, the delegation first informed our Co-Chairs Tulay Hatimogullari and Tuncer Bakirhan about the developments. The delegation, which will also include Kurdish politician Ahmet Turk, will meet with the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Numan Kurtulmus and the Chairman of the MHP Devlet Bahceli today.

After completing their visit to political parties in the Parliament, the delegation consisting of Buldan, Onder and Turk will also visit various social circles, including NGOs, trade unions, labor and professional organizations.

After the completion of the visits, where information will be given about the meetings in Imrali and opinions and suggestions will be received, the delegation will make a comprehensive statement/information to the public.

DEM Party statement (02.01.2025)

No press conference was held following DEM Party delegation’s meetings with speaker Kurtulmus and MHP Chairman Devlet Bahceli.

Why it matters?

The MHP and DEM Party have until recently kept their distance between each other. The DEM Party’s predecessor Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) is facing an ongoing trial spearheaded by the MHP dubbed the “Kobane Trials.”

The ongoing Kobane Trials link highest ranking members of the HDP and DEM Party to spreading domestic upheaval to connections to terrorism.

The trial is in part reaches back to events which took place in Ayn al-Arab (also known as Kobane), Syria on Oct. 2014.

Bahceli’s recent pivot marks a strategic domestic change in tackling the ongoing fight against the PKK. The move indicates an opportunity for two major political parties, on the opposite sides of the spectrum, to reach a diplomatic solution.