DEM Party delegation meets with Barzani as part of peace process talks

Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM Party delegation has met with Kurdistan Democratic Party President Masoud Barzani in Erbil as part of visits following talks with PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. Barzani expressed his full readiness to support the peace process in the meeting.

Sunday February 16 2025 01:09 pm

Duvar English

The İmralı delegation of Turkey's pro-Kurdish People's Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party on Feb. 16 met with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq.

The delegation comprised DEM Party MPs Pervin Buldan, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Keskin Bayındır, Foreign Relations Commission member Berdan Öztürk, DEM deputies Gülcan Kaçmaz Sayyiğit and Mehmet Kamaç, and lawyers from the Asrın Law Office met with Masoud Barzani.

The meeting took place in Barzani’s office in the Pirman district of the Kurdistan Regional Government and lasted one hour and 45 minutes. This meeting was part of the visits initiated by the DEM Party İmralı delegation after its meetings with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party's imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan.

During the meeting, the İmralı delegation primarily "provided information on the discussions with Öcalan and received Barzani’s opinions, suggestions, and perspectives on the process," the DEM Party announced.

An official statement from the KDP noted that President Barzani warmly received the delegation, and emphasized that the peace process was the "most effective path" to resolving issues.

He stated that all parties should strive for the successful conclusion of the peace process. "Barzani expressed his full readiness to support and contribute to the advancement of the peace process in Turkey," concluded the statement.

The delegation planned to meet with Nechirvan Barzani the following day before traveling to Sulaymaniyah to hold talks with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leaders Bafel Talabani and Qubad Talabani.

Following these meetings, the delegation planned to request a third meeting with PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan for further briefings. The date for this meeting had yet to be determined.

After returning from the KRG, the delegation would assess the situation with co-chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan before deciding whether to make a public statement. Internal briefings within the party were not expected following the meetings with Talabani and Barzani.