A high-level delegation from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), led by parliamentarian Pervin Buldan, is set to visit imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan on Sunday at İmralı Prison, fueling speculation of a major breakthrough in Turkey’s decades-long Kurdish conflict.

The delegation, which includes DEM parliamentarian Mithat Sancar and Öcalan’s lawyer, Özgür Faik Erol, is expected to coincide with the release of a new message from Öcalan and a symbolic disarmament ceremony involving PKK fighters. The event is anticipated to be witnessed by international observers and media.

Originally planned after a scheduled meeting between DEM Party representatives and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on July 10, the İmralı visit was moved forward without an official explanation.

This marks the delegation’s fifth visit to Öcalan this year, following previous meetings in January, February, April, and May. Their first encounter took place in December 2024.

The visit comes amid growing expectations of a historic shift in the Kurdish peace process. The DEM Party has hinted at "significant developments" next week regarding the PKK’s disarmament, possibly in the Kurdistan Region, though the exact location remains unclear.

DEM Party spokesperson Ayşe Gül Doğan stated, “We are informed that something important may happen next week. Whether it will be in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, or another part of the Kurdistan Region is still unknown.”

She called for a permanent resolution to the conflict, saying, “The ceasefire must become permanent. The war must end, and weapons must fall silent.”

On May 12, the PKK concluded its 12th Congress with a declaration to dissolve its organizational structure and end its armed campaign against the Turkish state. The decision followed a message from Öcalan urging a new political phase for the Kurdish movement.