Leader Barzani welcomes İmralı delegation, reaffirms support for Turkish peace process
Shafaq News/ On Sunday, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani welcomed the İmralı delegation—led by Pervin Buldan and accompanied by Sırrı Süreyya Önder—at the Saladin Resort in the Kurdistan Region.
The delegation, composed of politicians and figures who recently visited the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı Prison, briefed Barzani on their perspectives regarding Turkiye’s political landscape and ongoing peace negotiations.
According to Barzani’s office, the group shared details of their meetings with Öcalan and conveyed a personal message from him to the KDP chief. Emphasizing that the peace process remains the only viable path to lasting resolution in Turkiye, Barzani called on all stakeholders to intensify their efforts to ensure its success. He reiterated his readiness to support initiatives that promote dialogue and stability in the region.
The meeting comes amid broader regional discussions on the future of the PKK, a Kurdish militant organization with a long, contentious history in both Turkiye and northern Iraq.
Founded in 1978 with the aim of establishing an independent Kurdish state, the PKK has since shifted its focus towards seeking greater autonomy and enhanced political and cultural rights within Turkiye.
Engaged in armed conflict with Turkish authorities since 1984, the PKK has employed guerrilla warfare tactics and conducted cross-border operations from its bases in the Qandil Mountains of northern Iraq.
The group is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, the European Union, and others, and it remains banned in Iraq.
Recent reports suggest that Öcalan may soon urge the PKK to disarm—a move anticipated by Turkish media that could signal a significant shift in regional security dynamics.
