Selahattin Demirtaş, co-president of the BDP, speaks on his meeting with Öcalan

Demirtaş, along with other Kurdish leaders in the BDP, have met with Öcalan repeatedly
over past months

In a report from ANF available in English, Demirtaş spoke about his most recent meeting with Abdullah Öcalan, the Kurdish leader imprisoned for more than a decade in Turkey. Among other topics covered are Öcalan’s health, his conditions in prison, and his desire to be allowed to play a more active role in the peace process. Among other points which Öcalan is said to have made are that the conflict of Rojava can be solved with dialog, but that its defense from outside aggression is an imperative for all Kurds. He also argued that the Syrian state is no longer capable of monopolizing power and that some kind of formal devolution of power is now necessary. Öcalan encouraged Turkish leaders to accept this situation and work towards the recognition of the new political model forming in the region.