Will the PKK leader be released from prison? Erdogan's ally stirs up Turkey
The leader of the nationalist party, Devlet Bahçeli, surprisingly called for granting the imprisoned PKK founder, Abdullah Öcalan, a realistic opportunity for release. The call comes as part of an initiative in Turkey to disarm the organization and promote a settlement with the Kurds.
The leader of the nationalist party, Devlet Bahçeli, reiterated his dramatic call to grant the man considered an enemy of the state, the imprisoned leader of the PKK underground organization Abdullah Öcalan, the "right to hope" - a step that could lead to his release. According to a report published in "Turkey Today", Bahçeli went even further and called for the release of the former chairman of the HDP party, Selahattin Demirtaş.
The nationalist leader's unusual statements came after he signed a framework bill related to the new initiative, claiming that the legislation is another step towards strengthening national unity in the country.
"With this signature, our thousand-year-old brotherhood has been reaffirmed. Turks, Kurds, and everyone else, regardless of their language or identity, have won. Our 86 million citizens and the peoples of the Middle East have won," Bahçeli said, according to the report in "Turkey Today", adding that this is a first step to disrupt "global projects."
Bahçeli thanked the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the Speaker of Parliament, Numan Kurtulmuş, for their role in advancing the process, which he described as a "state project" managed in coordination with government institutions.
He also revealed that he maintains contact with the imprisoned Demirtaş through his lawyers and inquires about his well-being, and called for the reinstatement of the dismissed mayors, known as the "Ahmets" (former Mayor of Mardin Ahmet Türk and suspended Mayor of Esenyurt Ahmet Özer). According to him, "Turkey must find peace. Our goal is for the country and the region to reach peace."
The "right to hope" that Bahçeli refers to is a legal principle of the European Court of Human Rights. This principle requires that prisoners serving life sentences have a realistic opportunity for release through periodic review, provided they demonstrate rehabilitation.
Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdish terrorist organization, has been imprisoned in isolation since 1999 and is serving a life sentence, making the call by the far-right party leader an unprecedented event.
The new bill, which has received the signatures of about 360 members of parliament and is expected to be discussed in the Justice Committee, is intended to provide a legal basis for the next stage of the "Turkey Free of Terror" initiative.
Its main goal is to complete the disarmament of the PKK. The chairman of the ruling party's parliamentary group, Abdullah Güler, clarified that this is a temporary law that will only come into effect after state authorities verify that the PKK has completely disarmed, and emphasized that the law will not constitute a general amnesty and will not apply to those convicted of premeditated murder.
