Last week, imprisoned leader of the banned Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, made a historic call for the organization’s dissolution following months of developments. Over the weekend, the group announced a ceasefire.
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The PKK’s ceasefire announcement, in line with Öcalan’s February 27th call for the group to lay down arms, was made following the meeting of the group’s executive congress on March 1st.
Another affiliated group, the Kurdish National Congress, also voiced its support for Öcalan’s call of disarmament.
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Details emerge of Bahçeli-Demirtaş phone call
Devlet Bahçeli, chairman of the ultranationalist Nationalist Action Party (MHP) and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main coalition party who inaugurated the current ‘Kurdish opening‘ in October, reportedly held a telephone call with imprisoned Kurdish political leader Selahattin Demirtaş.
Demirtaş, former co-chair of the now-defunct People’s Democratic Party (HDP), has been imprisoned on controversial charges since 2016. Demirtaş’s potential release has been discussed as a potential bargaining chip in the ongoing ‘opening’.
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According to information obtained by Medyascope, the call between Bahçeli and Demirtaş concerned Demirtaş’s wife Başak Demirtaş, who has recently been experiencing health issues and underwent an operation at a hospital in Istanbul. Selahattin Demirtaş was given permission to travel to Istanbul to be by his wife’s side during the operation under intense secrecy and security presence.
While Demirtaş was at the hospital, the MHP leader called to share his best regards and wish Başak Demirtaş a successful recovery. In the call, Demirtaş reportedly voiced his support for the ongoing Kurdish opening initiated by Bahçeli.
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The President breaks his silence
Since the beginning of the ‘Kurdish opening’ in October, President Erdoğan has been largely silent on the issue, mostly deferring to his coalition partner Bahçeli and occasionally making statements expressing support for a ‘terror-free Turkey’.
Last Friday (February 28), Erdoğan made his most extensive statements yet on the issue, saying at a media conference in Istanbul:
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Editörlerimizin derlediği öngörüler, analizler, Türkiye’yi ve dünyayı şekillendiren haberler, Medyascope’un e-bülteni Andaç‘la her gün mail kutunuzda.
“During Turkey’s 40 year struggle with terrorism we have encountered enormous challenges…But as of yesterday we have now entered a new phase thanks to the brave initiative shown by Mr Bahçeli and our determination to create a terror-free Turkey.”
Written/translated for Medyascope by Leo Kendrick
