Turkish nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main parliamentary ally - said that "it would be useful" to release former pro-Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas from prison, Reuters reports, News.bg reports.
The unexpected statement was made before parliament and marks a new turn in the position of Bahceli, who in the past insisted on a tough approach towards Kurdish formations.
His statement comes a year after he called for a new peace process with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - a step that opened the possibility of rethinking the long-standing conflicts between the state and the Kurdish minority.
Following the PKK's decision to disarm and disband, the issue of Kurdish rights has become relevant again, and Selahattin Demirtaş - the former leader of the pro-Kurdish HDP party (now DEM) - has become a symbol of political opposition before being arrested in 2016.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has twice ruled that Demirtaş's rights have been violated and has demanded his immediate release - a demand that the Turkish government has long ignored. Turkey's latest appeal against the decision was rejected yesterday.
Asked about the court's final decision, Bahçeli commented:
“The legal path has been completed. His release would be beneficial for Turkey.“
The pro-Kurdish party DEM, the successor to the HDP, remains the third largest political force in the Turkish parliament, despite years of judicial repression - including the arrests of thousands of its members, the removal of deputies and mayors from office.