Erdogan ally floats releasing jailed pro-Kurdish leader Demirtas

ISTANBUL - Turkish nationalist party leader Devlet Bahceli, who is President Tayyip Erdogan's main parliamentary ally, said on Tuesday that it could be beneficial to release from prison the former pro-Kurdish party leader Selahattin Demirtas.

The surprise comment before reporters outside parliament came a year after Bahceli - who has in the past pushed for major policy changes from Erdogan - called for the beginning of a peace process with the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).