Abdullah Ocalan Transferred to New Section of Imrali Prison
Pro-Kurdish lawmakers argue the move should accelerate a stalled peace process in Turkey.
By Talia Bennett ·
Turkey moved Abdullah Ocalan, the founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, to a newly constructed section of the prison where he has been held for 27 years. Pro-Kurdish legislators announced the transfer on Saturday and Sunday, urging the Ankara government to resume stalled peace negotiations.
Mithat Sancar, a member of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party delegation, confirmed the change in location in an interview with Medya Haber TV on Saturday. He stated that the transfer necessitates an acceleration of the peace process, which he noted had been paused for two months. Sancar argued that the process cannot proceed with unilateral expectations and demands.
Pervin Buldan, another politician from the DEM party, spoke on Sunday. She said Ocalan himself announced the move but downplayed its immediate political weight. According to Buldan, the new facility is part of the prison and not a location outside it. She added that the question of Ocalan's status cannot be defined solely by his move to this location.
Kurdistan24, an Erbil-based broadcaster, described the facility as a new house built specifically for Ocalan on Imrali island. The outlet reported that the move is viewed as part of preparations to give Ocalan a more active role in the peace process. Better prison conditions for Ocalan have been a key demand of Kurdish groups.
Ocalan founded the PKK in 1978. The group initially fought for an independent Kurdish state before shifting its goals to autonomy and greater rights for Turkey's Kurds, who make up an estimated 15 to 20 percent of the population. The PKK launched an armed campaign against the Turkish state in 1984. Turkey, the United States, and the European Union designate the group as a terrorist organisation. The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people.
Ocalan has been held on Imrali, an island in the Sea of Marmara, since his capture in 1999. In February 2025, he called on the PKK to disband and disarm. The group announced its dissolution in May of that year. Turkey's parliament adopted a law offering limited amnesty for PKK fighters in August 2025. The PKK leadership has repeatedly demanded Ocalan's release as part of the ongoing process.
