ANKARA — Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), remains cautiously optimistic over the Turkish government’s efforts to solve the country’s Kurdish problem through dialogue, a statement made by Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) after a meeting with him indicated on Thursday.

The PKK has been fighting Turkey for Kurdish self-rule for more than 40 years and is considered a terrorist organization by Ankara, Washington and many European capitals. Turkish authorities in October lifted a ban on Ocalan’s communication with the outside world. DEM lawmakers on Wednesday met with the militant leader, who is serving a life sentence without parole in a Turkish prison.

“This process will enable everyone, all of us, to live together and freely. We expect valuable contributions from all segments of society in the hope that this will happen,” the DEM Party said in a statement after a four-hour meeting.

DEM lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Sirri Sureyya Onder met with Ocalan at a prison island off the coast of Istanbul for the second round of talks. “Our delegation has provided him with the necessary information regarding the talks we have held. Mr. Ocalan's work on the process continues,” the statement said in reference to the dialogue process.