Months later, it emerged: Feti Yıldız rejected Öcalan's request by saying, "The meeting is over."

05.02.2026 11:20

A striking detail emerged months later regarding the meeting with Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı as part of the "Terror-Free Turkey" process conducted in the Turkish Grand National Assembly; MHP member Feti Yıldız announced that Öcalan's request for a photo was categorically denied.

As part of the "Terror-Free Turkey" process that has been ongoing for over a year, three members of the commission established in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) from the AK Party, MHP, and DEM Party visited İmralı Island to meet with Abdullah Öcalan. After the meeting, the TBMM Presidency announced that "positive results were achieved in terms of advancing the process."

FETİ YILDIZ BROKE THE SILENCE

One of the names who went to İmralı, MHP Deputy Chairman Feti Yıldız, answered questions from Nur Tuğba Aktay of the Turkey newspaper regarding why the meeting was kept so secret from the public. Yıldız confirmed that Abdullah Öcalan made a request for "photographs to be taken" during the meeting.

"NO PHOTOGRAPHS, THE MEETING IS OVER"

According to Aktay, Öcalan's request was evaluated as an attempt to create symbolic legitimacy at the end of the meeting. It was stated that Feti Yıldız firmly rejected this request, drawing a clear line by saying, "No photographs. The meeting is over." This attitude was emphasized as clearly indicating the red line in the state's approach to the process.

EMPHASIS ON "NOT A BARGAIN, BUT A REGISTRATION"

The evaluation in the article stated that the İmralı meeting was not a bargaining process and that the state did not allow any symbolic or political gains to be produced through this contact. It was noted that the meeting aimed to confirm the conditions of the process and that the state clearly conveyed its message of "up to this point."