DEM Party meets jailed PKK leader
Turkish parliament forms PKK peace talks commission
PKK demands constitutional changes in Turkey, refuses amnesty
Ten dead in western Turkey wildfires
DEM Party rebukes call by Erdogan's ally to dissolve
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A delegation from Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) on Friday arrived at Imrali prison to meet with Abdullah Ocalan, jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), for the first time since the group's ceremonial disarmament earlier this month.
'The DEM Party Imrali delegation, consisting of Pervin Buldan, Mithat Sancar, and Ozgur Faik Erol, is on Imrali Island to meet with Mr. Abdullah Ocalan,' the party said in a statement.
DEM Party has been mediating peace talks between the PKK and the Turkish state.
As part of that peace process, the PKK held a disarmament ceremony in Sulaimani province on July 11 when 30 members and commanders burned their weapons. The group decided to lay down arms after Ocalan urged them to pursue a political solution instead of armed conflict.
The peace process will be guided by a parliamentary commission.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that negotiations to form the commission have 'reached the final stage. You will soon see progress at the parliamentary level.'
The commission will consist of 35 members and may hold its first meeting in the coming days, Sezai Temelli, a DEM Party lawmaker, told Rudaw on Tuesday.
Its main task will be to ensure 'legal and political guarantees for the disarmament process,' he said.
Some PKK fighters based in Duhok province told Rudaw earlier this month that they fear reprisals if they return to Turkey. Many are opting to remain in the mountains instead.
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