ISTANBUL (AP) — Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan has been moved to a new detention facility inside his prison, two Turkish lawmakers said Sunday, criticizing the measure as insufficient to support the peace process.

Published on: 01/11/2026 - 19:07

Pervin Buldan, a representative from the pro-Kurdish Equality and Peoples' Democracy Party (Dem), said that the Kurdish leader "announced his transfer," according to what Turkish news sites reported from her.

She added, "This place is an integral part of the prison, and it is not outside it," expressing her regret that "just changing the place does not give it a new status."

In early August, the Turkish Parliament approved a historic law paving the way for the reintegration of PKK fighters. This step is considered an essential stage in the peace process aimed at putting an end to more than four decades of rebellion, which, according to Ankara, has killed about 50,000 people.

As part of this process, four subcommittees were established to oversee the dissolution of the PKK. Abdullah Ocalan is expected to participate in efforts related to disarming the party he leads.

However, the law does not determine the fate of 77-year-old Ocalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999 in complete isolation on Imrali Island, south of Istanbul, where he is serving a life sentence.

The Dem Party accuses the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of procrastination.

"Ocalan emphasized from the beginning his desire to meet with different segments of society... such as women's organizations, journalists and academics. However, two years have passed without anything happening," Pervin Buldan said. She added, "This is not enough to move the process forward. We must act quickly."

In turn, Medhat Sancar, a representative from the Dem Party and a member of the delegation assigned to go to Imrali to meet with Abdullah Ocalan, called for “accelerating the process.”

He added that the peace process "has been at a standstill for two months. Dates were announced, but they have not been achieved on the ground."

He also pointed out that Ocalan should coordinate the work of the committee, not just be a member of it, considering that "this is an essential factor."

© 2026 AFP

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