Cemil Bayık demands autonomy and meeting with Öcalan

Cemil Bayık, co-chair of the KCK, has called for a meeting with Abdullah Öcalan on İmralı Island, stating that the current peace process cannot progress healthily without such contact. In an interview, Bayık expressed dissatisfaction with recent legislative frameworks, claiming they serve the interests of the Turkish state rather than Kurdish demands. He advocated for the autonomy of Kurdish regions, arguing that democratic integration does not necessitate surrendering everything to the state.

In response to these statements, İYİ Party Deputy Chairman Selçuk Türkoğlu criticized the government for its silence. Türkoğlu condemned Bayık’s rhetoric, specifically addressing threats regarding a ‘great war’ and the refusal to recognize Turkish parliamentary law. He questioned whether the cessation of violence is genuine or merely a strategic pause, urging the government to respond to such threats with state seriousness rather than indifference.