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An extraordinary political realignment may be underway in Turkey, centered on an alleged offer from Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Reports indicate that Öcalan has conveyed a message offering to support Erdoğan's potential re-election, provided progress is made on a new "Turkey without terror" initiative. A pro-Kurdish DEM Party delegation reportedly delivered the message following a visit to Öcalan's İmralı prison island on July 6.
Prominent journalist Murat Yetkin detailed the explosive claim. Yetkin writes that the message represents a dramatic reversal of the 2015 declaration by former pro-Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtaş, "We will not make you president," a statement widely seen as derailing the previous peace process. Öcalan's new stance is being interpreted as a significant expression of regret over the collapse of that dialogue.
An unexpected player has unlocked this potential détente: the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Erdoğan's key coalition partner. Previously staunchly opposed to any dialogue, the MHP has signaled its approval for a parliamentary commission to visit Öcalan. This shift reportedly came after secret, back-channel talks between the DEM Party and the MHP, with the DEM Party seemingly accepting that the nationalists hold the key to any new process. If this fragile alliance holds, the DEM Party could provide the necessary parliamentary support for an early election. This move would legally allow Erdoğan to bypass term limits and run for the presidency once more.