ANKARA — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey appeared to subtly endorse a remarkable suggestion from his nationalist partner on Tuesday, which could potentially lead to a more lenient treatment of Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned chief of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

During a ceremony celebrating the 101st anniversary of the Turkish Republic in Ankara, Erdogan highlighted the necessity of an open-minded evaluation of recent statements made by Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party. Bahceli had proposed last week that Ocalan might qualify for parole if he publicly renounces violence and takes steps to disband the PKK. This marked Erdogan’s initial response to Bahceli’s unexpected announcement.

Ocalan, convicted of treason, has been serving a life sentence on an island prison near Istanbul since 1999. The PKK has engaged in an armed struggle for autonomy in Turkey’s southeastern region since 1984, a conflict that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. This group is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.

Erdogan expressed his belief that it would be advantageous to consider the recent approaches put forward by Bahceli without any biases. He emphasized that Turkey needed to demonstrate a strong will to address and resolve issues instead of ignoring them.

Bahceli’s traditionally hardline position against the PKK took many by surprise when he suggested last week that Ocalan could be removed from isolation and even allowed to speak in Parliament if he agreed to disband the PKK. Ocalan conveyed, through his nephew, his willingness to collaborate for peace.

This week, public attention turned to Erdogan following an attack on a Turkish defense company in Ankara, which resulted in at least five fatalities and was attributed to the military faction of the PKK. In response, Turkey blamed the PKK for the incident and promptly initiated airstrikes targeting locations associated with the militant group in northern Iraq and its affiliates in northern Syria.

However, the PKK’s military wing, known as the People’s Defense Center, maintained that the assault was unrelated to the current political discussions, insisting it had been planned well in advance.

Erdogan’s acceptance of Bahceli’s proposition comes amidst indicators of a renewed peace initiative aimed at concluding the decades-long conflict between Turkey’s armed forces and the PKK. This prolonged strife has entrenched significant divisions within Turkish society and has led to the arrest of numerous pro-Kurdish politicians and dissenters over the years.

Citing various challenges affecting the Middle East, Erdogan suggested that a fresh political strategy is essential. He urged that prompt solutions to the political, social, and economic obstacles facing the nation are crucial for its progress.