BDP Chairman Selahattin Demirtaş and BDP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chairman Pervin Buldan paid a visit to the imprisoned leader of the PKK terrorist organization Abdullah Öcalan during which he requested the opportunity to hold a press conference on İmrali Island, where he is currently serving a life sentence. "If I were to have the opportunity to inform the public directly, then I may be able to provide a significant contribution to the healthy progression of the solution process," said Öcalan.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY ARINÇ

Speaking to reporters following yesterday's Council of Ministers meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç stated that the issue was not something that could be brought to the Council of Ministers agenda for debate. Arınç also shared that he has discussed the issue with Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin and that according to current laws holding a press conference on İmrali would be impossible and that to even make such a request is impermissible.

The proposal which the government has refrained from lighting a green light on has also drawn in reactions by opposition parties. CHP Deputy Chairman Faruk Loğoğlu remarked, "In my opinion, this is a contrived proposition from the solution process, the character of which is still unclear. We will see, in the days to come something like this may take place. I am saying this in jest, however maybe they will even hold a joint press conference."

MHP Group Deputy Chairman Oktay Vural also commented on the proposal by stating, "Where in the world does a convict sentence to aggravated life imprisonment hold a press conference?" Vural went on to offer up criticism by way of suggesting that Prime Minister Erdoğan and Öcalan hold a joint press conference in order to explain what they have discussed up until now and what their plans are.

Öcalan made another comment that has also become the focus of debate by stating, "I hope that by the start of September we will have made progress on the second stage and will then be able to move on to deliberations for the third stage of the process which we refer to as normalization."

BDP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chairman Buldan remarked on the meeting with the imprisoned PKK leader by stating, "We did not discuss normalization. The second stage has not yet been completed. Once it is completed, what will be done next will be discussed. We are now waiting on the democratization package to be released by the government."

This is a translation of an article originally written by Hazal Ateş and Evrin Güvendik.