PKK Founder Abdullah Ocalan Relocated Within Turkish Island Prison Amid Peace Process Hopes

Turkiye has transferred the jailed founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, to a newly constructed section of the prison on Imrali island, where he has been incarcerated for 27 years. This development was announced by pro-Kurdish legislators who are advocating for Ankara to revitalize the stalled peace process.

Mithat Sancar, a representative of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) and a regular visitor to Ocalan, confirmed the move in an interview with Medya Haber TV on Saturday. Sancar stated that the relocation “necessitates an acceleration of the (peace) process,” which he noted has been paused for two months, adding, “The process cannot proceed with unilateral expectations and demands.”

Fellow DEM politician Pervin Buldan commented on Sunday that Ocalan himself had disclosed the transfer but downplayed its significance. According to AFP news agency, Buldan said, “This new facility is part of the prison; it is not somewhere outside the prison,” and emphasized, “The question of status cannot be defined solely by Mr Ocalan having moved to this location.”

Erbil-based broadcaster Kurdistan24 reported that the new facility is a house built for Ocalan on Imrali island and suggested the move might be part of preparations to involve him more actively in the peace process. Improved prison conditions for Ocalan have been a long-standing demand from Kurdish groups.

The PKK, founded in 1978 by Ocalan and others, initially sought an independent Kurdish state before adjusting its goals to autonomy and enhanced rights for Turkiye’s Kurdish population, who constitute an estimated 15 to 20 percent of the country’s inhabitants. The group initiated an armed campaign against the Turkish state in 1984 and is classified as a “terrorist” organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union. The conflict has resulted in over 40,000 fatalities.

Ocalan has been imprisoned on Imrali, located in the Sea of Marmara, since his apprehension in 1999. In February of the previous year, Ocalan urged the PKK to disband and disarm, a call that led to the group announcing its dissolution in May. Turkiye’s parliament enacted a law offering limited amnesty for PKK fighters in August, and the PKK leadership has consistently called for Ocalan’s release as part of the ongoing process.