The Turkish Grand National Assembly's National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Committee will today discuss the possible visit of parliamentary members to İmralı Island to meet with Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the PKK terrorist organization.
Modern.az reports that the position within the government is already known. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has given the “green light” to the visit. The CHP will announce its decision today.
In an internal meeting held with the participation of AK Party officials Efkan Ala and Abdullah Güler, a “yes” decision was made to send a delegation from the commission to İmralı. The AKP has not yet determined the composition of the delegation. The timing of the visit will be determined by the commission's decision.
Although discussions were held at the meeting chaired by Özgür Özel, the final position has not been announced. Some members suggested that the CHP should not oppose the visit but should not provide a member to the delegation.
It is reported that the decision will be announced today after consultations with the party leadership.
If the commission decides on the visit, the composition of the delegation will depend on the selection of the party groups. The currently anticipated names are as follows:
From the DEM Party - Gülistan Koçyiğit – has already officially announced that she will be part of the İmralı delegation.
From the MHP - Feti Yıldız's name is mentioned among the main candidates.
New Path Group - Bülent Kaya or Mehmet Emin Ekmen
The names to be sent by the AKP are expected to be determined after the commission's decision.
In political circles, the possibility of sending a small delegation of 4–5 people to İmralı has strengthened. Even if the CHP does not provide a member to the delegation, the visit will still take place if a decision is made.
In the 51-member commission, a decision for the visit formally requires 26 votes. However, the AKP states that there is no need for a vote, claiming that this is an activity of a “listening” nature.
