Hundreds of Kurdish inmates ended a 68-day hunger strike in prisons across Turkey on Sunday in response to an appeal from their jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan, reportedly following discussions he had with officials from Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MİT).
Ergin did not specify when talks might take place. The state has held discussions senior PKK representatives in Oslo in recent years. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in September more talks were possible.
"These talks have been held as and when deemed necessary in the past, and will be held in the future," Ergin said on Monday when speaking to reporters. He did not elaborate. The justice minister also said he was pleased to hear that the inmates have ended their protest.
The inmates, who went on hunger strike more than two months ago to demand an end to the isolation of Ocalan -- whom strikers said has been denied access to his lawyers -- as well as the right to use Kurdish in courtrooms and the right to education in their mother tongue for Kurdish children.
Ergin denied that there has been a purposeful policy of isolation for the PKK chief, saying that family members are free to visit Ocalan if they wish to do so.
However, the government has denied Öcalan's lawyers visits to the island -- citing reasons such as the ferry being out of order -- although there is no legal obstacle to such visits.
Öcalan himself earlier said in a letter that he will no longer speak through his lawyers as they distort his remarks.
"Lawyers distort my remarks. My messages are not relayed to the relevant people. The BDP and the PKK are deceiving me. I will no longer meet with them," Öcalan said in the letter.
Asked whether Ocalan will be allowed to meet with his lawyers, Ergin would only say the issue will be discussed in the future.