DEM Party İmralı Delegation called on PKK to lay down arms after meeting with Öcalan

EVRİN GÜVENDİK / ANKARA - Following these statements, the DEM Party İmralı Delegation, consisting of Sırrı Süreyya Önder and Pervin Buldan, made its first visit to Öcalan on 28 December 2024. In his message announced through the İmralı Delegation, Öcalan gave his first positive response to Bahçeli's call, emphasizing that "This is the era of peace, democracy and brotherhood for Türkiye and the region."

Call to PKK

While the delegation made its second visit to İmralı on January 22, 2025, the expected call from Öcalan to the PKK came on February 27. The delegation, including Ahmet Türk, Pervin Buldan, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Tülay Hatimoğulları, Tuncer Bakırhan, Cengiz Çiçek and Faik Özgür Erol, announced Öcalan's call for "disarmament and dissolution" of the PKK to the public under the title of "Peace and Democratic Society" call. Following this call, the PKK announced that it had declared a "ceasefire" on March 1. While Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who was in the İmralı Delegation, passed away on May 3 as a result of his illness, the decision to lay down arms and disband the PKK came on May 12. PKK held a symbolic disarmament ceremony in the countryside of Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, on July 11, 2025.

Commission established