Bahçeli invites PKK leader Öcalan to parliament to ‘end terrorism,’ hints at his potential release from prison

Duvar English

Turkish government-ally, far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli on Oct. 22 invited jailed Abdullah Öcalan, jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader, to speak at the parliament. 

Speaking at the parliamentary group meeting of his party, Bahçeli said, “If the isolation of the terrorist head (Öcalan) is lifted, let him come and speak at the DEM Party group meeting in the parliament, shout that terrorism is completely over and the (PKK) has been disbanded.”

Going further, Bahçeli hinted at Öcalan’s release from prison in case of such a move. “If he shows this resilience, the way for the legal regulation on the exercise of the right to hope will be opened wide open.”

MHP Deputy Chair Feti Yıldız reminded the right to hope in a social media post. “New concepts have been introduced to modern criminal law over time. One of these concepts is the ‘Right to Hope’ or the right of the convict to hope for release. This concept is used to express the right of a convict sentenced to life imprisonment to expect to be released one day.”

In 2014, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found a “violation” of Abdullah Öcalan's sentence of aggravated life imprisonment without the right to parole (the right to hope).

After Bahçeli, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the parliamentary group meeting of the AKP. 

“We expect everyone to realize that there is no place for terrorism in Turkey's future. We want this historical window not to be sacrificed to greed. We want to build a Turkey without terrorism together,” Erdoğan said.

Bahçeli’s move became the latest in a string of the government’s seeming reconciliation efforts with the Kurds in the last month.

On Oct. 1, Bahçeli shook hands with DEM Party deputies at the opening session of the Parliament.

He later “invited” the DEM Party to “become a party of Turkey.” Previously, he called for the closure of the DEM Party on several occasions, accusing them of collaborating with the outlawed PKK.

Later on, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan backed Bahçeli and pointed to a new constitution to resolve the Kurdish issue.

Last week, Bahçeli again called on jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan “to end terrorism.”

Responses

In response to Bahçeli, pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party co-chair Tülay Hatimoğulları once again demanded the abolishment of contact ban and isolation practices imposed upon Öcalan.

“Abdullah Öcalan is the interlocutor for peace. The path to a solution is the parliament,” she said.

Meanwhile, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel said, “Bahçeli changes his opinion very often. His statement today excludes the parliament. Whatever needs to be done must be done in the parliament. There will be no result without a full social consensus. If this issue is to be solved, it must be discussed at a table that includes all parties. This plan seems to solve Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's plan instead of solving Turkey's problem and that is why it smells bad.”

“I am raising the hand. I am offering the Kurds a state. I am offering the Kurds, who do not fully feel that they belong to the state, to be the owners of the Republic of Turkey,” he added.

Following Bahçeli’s remarks, the DEM Party convened an extraordinary meeting.

Bahçeli’s remarks were met with a huge surprise on social media.

“The People's Alliance is relying on an agreement between 3 old, authoritarian leaders to maintain its power. These leaders have suppressed different voices within their movement, now they will consolidate this authoritarian regime by liquidating democratic actors. Social peace cannot come out of this,” political scientist Berk Esen said.