Abdullah Ocalan calls for a "major transformation" to end the Turkish-Kurdish conflict.

Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned founder of the "Kurdistan Workers' Party," called for a "major transformation" to repair relations between Turkey and the Kurdish minority following the historic decision of the party to dissolve itself and surrender its arms.

Ocalan's statements came through a message delivered by a delegation from the "Democratic People's Party" (HDP) during a visit to Imrali prison, where Ocalan has been serving a life sentence in solitary confinement since 1999.

This was Ocalan's first visit since the party announced on May 12th its dissolution and disarmament, aiming to end the bloody conflict that began in 1984 when the party started an armed rebellion for a Kurdish state. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 people, while Kurds make up about 20% of Turkey's population of 85 million.

In his message, the 76-year-old Ocalan wrote: "What we are doing involves a major transformation," likening the Turkish-Kurdish relationship to a "severed fraternal relationship."

He added: "Brothers and sisters fight, but they cannot live without each other," calling for "a new agreement based on the concept of brotherhood."

He continued, saying: "We must remove (...) all the traps and minefields that spoil this relationship, and repair the broken roads and bridges."

The visiting delegation included HDP deputy Pervin Buldan and Ocalan's lawyer, Ozgur Erol, in a visit that was the first since the death of Seri Threya Onder, the Turkish Parliament's deputy speaker and one of the key architects of dialogue between Ankara and the party, who died of a heart attack on May 3rd, just days before the party's historic decision.

Onder had spent years trying to end the conflict and had been part of a delegation that visited Ocalan several times since last December. In his message, Ocalan wrote: "I longed to speak with Seri Threya Onder one last time," describing him as a "wise person" who left behind "precious memories that we must keep alive."

While Ankara announced it would monitor the party's disarmament process, observers expect a new openness from the Turkish government towards Kurdish demands. Ocalan is not expected to be released due to concerns for his safety, but officials have hinted at the possibility of "easing" his prison conditions.