ISTANBUL, November 1: Turkey has relocated jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan to a newly constructed section of an island prison, in a move seen as part of ongoing efforts to advance the peace process and end decades of conflict between Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The relocation was confirmed by senior Kurdish politician Mithat Sancar during an interview with Medya Haber TV on Saturday. However, he did not provide details about the new facility or confirm whether it offers improved living conditions.
Ocalan, who heads the PKK, has been imprisoned since his capture in 1999 at the Imrali Island penitentiary in the Marmara Sea, which connects the Black Sea with the Aegean Sea.
Improving Ocalan’s prison conditions has been among the key demands raised by Kurdish representatives as part of efforts to resolve the 42-year-long conflict between the PKK and Turkish authorities.
Sancar, a lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, called for an acceleration of the peace process, saying negotiations had effectively remained on hold for the past two months.
He described Ocalan’s transfer to the new facility as a development that should lead to renewed momentum in negotiations.
Ocalan remains an influential figure among the Kurdish community and is considered central to efforts to secure a lasting political settlement.
In February 2025, he called on the PKK to dissolve itself and lay down its weapons. Three months later, the organisation announced its decision to end armed hostilities and disarm.
Following the announcement, the Turkish Parliament approved legislation in August offering conditional pardons to thousands of PKK fighters. The legislation was subsequently signed into law by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has claimed tens of thousands of lives since 1984.
Sancar stressed that Ocalan must be allowed to play an active role in coordinating peace negotiations, adding that the process could not advance through unilateral expectations or demands.
He also urged the Turkish government to reconsider what he described as its rigid approach and take meaningful steps towards achieving a lasting resolution.
