ISTANBUL - While there has been no news for 21 months from PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan being held under aggravated isolation in İmralı Prison, 299 applications made by the lawyers of Asrın Law Office have not been answered.

 

There has been no news for 21 months from PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been kept in severe isolation conditions since he was brought to Turkey by an international conspiracy on February 15, 1999. Asrın Law Office, consisting of Öcalan's lawyers, last met with their clients on August 7, 2019, while his family held a phone call on March 25, 2021 on public concerns about Öcalan's health and safety. The interrupted phone call of 4 and a half minutes was Öcalan's second phone call during his 24-year imprisonment. After the short meeting, Öcalan was never heard from again.

 

LAST LAWYER'S VISIT: I AM READY TO WORK FOR A SOLUTION

 

Despite the harsh isolation conditions in İmralı Type F High Security Prison, PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who offered his suggestions on the democratic solution of the Kurdish problem at every opportunity, gave the message that he is ready to work for a solution to the Kurdish problem against the insistence of the government on war and conflict policies in his last meeting with his lawyers. Abdullah Öcalan, who said that the heavy isolation policies in Imrali are closely related to the war policies carried out, drew attention to the fact that due to the war policies that have been carried out for 40 years, the country suffered loss of lives and crisis in economy. Reminding that the democratic solution efforts were sabotaged in this period as well as in the Turgut Özal period, Öcalan emphasized that despite all this, he insisted on peace and said, “I am trying to make room for the Kurds. Let's solve the Kurdish problem. I  can solve it in a week. I am confident. However the state mind must do what is necessary.”

 

299 APPLICATIONS

 

Asrın Law Office made many applications to meet with Abdullah Öcalan after the interrupted phone call. Every week, on behalf of themselves and their families, the lawyers applied to Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and İmralı Penitentiary Institution. 220 applications were made by his lawyers and 79 by his family and guardian to meet with Abdullah Öcalan. However, applications were left unanswered.

 

SIGNATURES FROM 775 LAWYERS

 

The incommunicado situation prompted legal organizations to take action. Legal organizations, including the Lawyers' Association for Freedom (ÖHD), launched a petition for a meeting with Abdullah Öcalan. 775 lawyers registered to 29 bar associations applied to the Ministry of Justice between June 10-17. However, the ministry did not respond to the lawyers' application.

 

350 LAWYERS FROM 22 COUNTRIES

 

Lawyers in Europe and the Middle East also applied to the Ministry of Justice to meet with Abdullah Öcalan. 350 lawyers from 22 countries around the world applied to the Ministry of Justice on September 14, requesting a meeting with Abdullah Öcalan. Stating that the isolation in Imrali constitutes an international violation in the prevention of torture, the lawyers also made the same application to the European Bar Association, the Union of Turkish Bar Associations and international human rights organizations. The lawyers announced their application at a press conference at the Brussels European Press Club, the capital of Belgium.

 

EMPHASIS ON STRUGGLE

 

Later, 756 lawyers in Morocco, Palestine, Federated Kurdistan Region, Northern and Eastern Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Jordan took action. Noting that Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners are being held in severe isolation conditions, the lawyers announced to the public that they interpreted this situation as a historic step for Kurdish-Arab unity, saying, "We are taking action to defend the rights of Mr. Öcalan and the other prisoners in Imrali." The lawyers also emphasized that they will fight for the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners.

 

691 LAWYERS FROM SYRIA

 

691 lawyers from Northern and Eastern Syria, Tartus, Aleppo, Homs and Latakia came together in front of the Social Justice Council in Qamishlo on September 19 and reacted to the isolation imposed upon Abdullah Öcalan. Lawyers sent a letter to the Ministry of Justice and demanded an end to the isolation.

 

CPT GOES TO IMRALI

 

Following the applications of hundreds of lawyers from the Middle East and Europe, as well as legal organizations in Turkey, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), affiliated to the Council of Europe (EC), announced that it visited Imrali on September 20-29.

 

NO INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED BY THE CPT

 

Although it announced that it had visited İmralı, the CPT did not give any information about their visit. Regarding their visit, Therese Rytter, 2nd Vice President of the CPT, said, “I can say that we have visited all the prisoners in Turkey, but I cannot explain our findings. These will be announced if the report is made public." Rytter stated that they will approve the report they prepared for the visit and send it to Turkey in March 2023, adding, "Turkey will have 6 months to respond, and then the CPT will decide whether it wants to publish its report. We have unhindered access to anyone deprived of their liberty."

 

These visits and statements further increased the concerns about Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners in İmralı. Asrın Law Office made a statement after the CPT's visit and demanded that the CPT make a public statement as soon as possible and implement the necessary procedures to end the torture in İmralı.

 

ABDULLAH ÖCALAN REFUSED TO MEET WITH THE CPT

 

As the echoes of the CPT visit continued, Asrın Law Office made a statement on November 29 and said, "We have heard that Mr. Öcalan did not attend the meeting." Lawyers also stated that this situation could be a protest against the unlawfulness against Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners.

 

POLITICIANS STARTED TO APPLY FOR A VISIT

 

At a time when the isolation and bans on visits continued and concerns deepened, the applications of political parties began. Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chairs Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, HDP Party Spokesperson Ebru Günay and HDP Urfa Deputy Ömer Öcalan applied to the Ministry of Justice to meet with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan on 20 October. Following their applications, Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-chair Berdan Öztürk, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Saliha Aydeniz and many HDP MPs applied to meet with Abdullah Öcalan.

 

The ministry has not yet responded to these applications.

 

 

MA / Ergin Çağlar