Turkey Moves PKK Leader Ocalan to New Prison Wing on Imrali Island
The transfer of Abdullah Ocalan to a newly built section of his long-term detention facility marks a key step in the ongoing peace process with the Kurdish group.
By Rafael Bailey ·
Turkey moved Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, to a newly constructed wing of the Imrali Island prison. The transfer occurred as part of ongoing efforts to end a 42-year conflict between the Kurdish militant group and Turkish authorities. Ocalan has been held on the island in the Sea of Marmara since his capture in 1999.
Mithat Sancar, a senior Kurdish official and legislator for the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, confirmed the move during an interview with Medya Haber TV on Saturday. Sancar stated that the relocation makes acceleration of the peace process necessary. He noted that the process had been on pause for the last two months and called for it to move forward more quickly.
Improving Ocalan's detention conditions has been a central demand of Kurdish negotiators. While Sancar did not explicitly confirm that the new section offers better housing standards, his comments suggested the facility provides upgraded conditions. The PKK leader has been a key figure in pushing for peace, having urged his group to dissolve and disarm in February 2025.
Following Ocalan's call for disarmament, the PKK announced three months later that it would lay down its weapons and end hostilities. In August, the Turkish parliament passed legislation offering a conditional pardon to thousands of PKK fighters. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan subsequently signed the bill into law. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people over the decades.
Sancar, who is part of a group of DEM politicians visiting Ocalan regularly, emphasized the need for the leader to coordinate peace negotiations. He argued that the process cannot advance with unilateral expectations and demands from the Turkish government. Sancar urged the government to move away from what he described as an insistent and rigid stance.
The PKK was designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union in 1984. Ocalan cofounded the group in the 1970s and remains an influential figure among Kurds. The move to the new prison section serves as a tangible step in the broader diplomatic efforts to formalize the end of the conflict.
