, has expressed his party’s backing for ongoing peace discussions between Turkey and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), following a meeting with representatives from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), the Rudaw news website reported on Tuesday.){kind=link}
Bafel Talabani, the leader of Iraqi Kurdish political party the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has expressed his party’s backing for ongoing peace discussions between Turkey and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), following a meeting with representatives from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), the Rudaw news website reported on Tuesday.
According to the Rudaw report, citing a statement posted on Talabani’s Facebook page, the meeting took place at PUK headquarters in Sulaymaniyah, where the DEM Party delegation provided updates on their recent talks with imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. The delegation, which has met with Öcalan twice at İmralı Prison in recent months, conveyed his messages and perspectives on the peace process, sharing details of their discussions with the PUK leadership.
Talabani “warmly welcomed” the delegation and reiterated his party’s commitment to supporting efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey, the statement noted. He emphasized the importance of a political solution that safeguards the rights of Kurdish communities in Turkey and aligns with broader regional stability.
Qubad Talabani, the deputy prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and a senior PUK official, also reaffirmed the party’s position. In a separate Facebook post, he pledged that the PUK would “fully support” any initiative aimed at resolving the Kurdish struggle for recognition through peaceful means, adding that the party is ready to “proudly fulfill any national duty” in this effort.
The DEM Party delegation’s visit to Sulaymaniyah followed earlier meetings in Erbil with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Mesud Barzani. These discussions, which focused on advancing peace talks between Turkey and the PKK, come amid renewed speculation that Öcalan may soon make a “historic call” for a political settlement to the decades-long conflict.
On February 8, the DEM Party announced that Öcalan was working on a proposal aimed at securing a “comprehensive and permanent solution” to the Kurdish struggle for recognition while promoting a democratic framework for Turkey.
Some analysts believe Öcalan may urge the PKK to lay down its arms as part of a broader peace plan. However, the PKK has stated that it will not consider such a call unless Öcalan is granted direct communication with the group’s leadership.
The PKK, founded in 1978, initially sought an independent Kurdish state but later shifted its demands toward autonomy. Turkey and its Western allies designate the group as a terrorist organization.
The latest diplomatic efforts, coupled with recent high-level meetings among Kurdish leaders, reflect renewed interest in resolving the long-standing conflict. However, ongoing security operations and political crackdowns in Turkey continue to raise questions about whether Ankara is genuinely committed to a new peace process.