What did the CPT say about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' 'cooperation' response?

  • actual
  • 13:48 27 December 2023
  • |
img
ISTANBUL - DEM Party AK Representative Faik Yağızay stated that in his meeting with CPT officials, the "cooperation" response given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding İmralı was brought to the agenda and they received the answer: "A general statement was made. It does not mean that the CPT is in cooperation with the isolation issue." .
 
The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), an independent monitoring body of the Council of Europe, is the only international institution authorized to go to İmralı Island. The CPT did not announce the report on its visit to Imrali in 2022, despite the passage of time. The CPT attributes this situation to "the lack of permission from Turkey"; however, the CPT has the authority to make statements regarding countries that do not comply with the recommendations. It is noteworthy that although there has been no news from Abdullah Öcalan for 34 months, there has been no statement from the CPT. This situation is criticized by legal organizations and human rights advocates as "silent cooperation".
 
People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) European Council Representative Faik Yağızay, who holds frequent meetings with the CPT, evaluated the absolute isolation in İmralı and the CPT's attitude towards it.
 
WHAT DID THEY SPEAK IN THE LAST MEETING?
 
Stating that they have been holding meetings with CPT officials for a long time, Yağızay said: "The violations in İmralı are the main agenda of the meetings. There are two parliamentarians and two substitute members in the Council of Europe, of which Turkey is a member, in our meetings with parliamentarians and the European Council, we are working to solve the Kurdish issue democratically and through dialogue. We are trying to create more friends to make the Kurdish issue visible. We organize conferences on this issue. We often organize bilateral meetings. We meet with rapporteurs of European institutions about what should be taken into consideration during the preparation of reports."
 
Yağızay shared that they last met with CPT on December 4. Yağızay said: "The answer given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the question asked by DEM Party MP Nevroz Uysal Aslan about İmralı, 'There is close cooperation with the CPT', was brought up in the last meeting. As far as we can see, the ministry made a general statement regarding the conditions of prisons. It said that it is in close cooperation with international institutions, especially the CPT. This is a general statement and in our opinion, the CPT is somehow responsible for Abdullah Öcalan. It does not mean that he cooperated with the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan. "
 
Yağızay said: "In addition, we asked the CPT why they did not disclose their reports regarding their visit to İmralı. CPT stated that they are currently maintaining a dialogue with Turkey, good or bad, and that they do not find it useful to make a statement about the reports for now in order to prevent this dialogue from being interrupted because of the current situation. They responded that we might fall into a more backward situation."
 
'THERE ARE REPORTS THAT CPT HAS NOT EXPLAINED'
 
Drawing attention that the CPT presents the reports it prepared on torture and ill-treatment to the countries it visits and continues to do so confidentially, Yağızay said: "The CPT has not disclosed 4 reports regarding İmralı Prison so far. The most recently announced report emphasized that cutting off Abdullah Öcalan's relations with the outside world was against the European Convention on Human Rights (ECtHR). In the same report that the isolation was also found to be against domestic and international law."

View More Articles

15/01/2024
12:49 213th issue of Xwebûn is out
12:02 Journalist Müftüoğlu's lawyer: What is on trial is her professional activities
11:53 No news from journalist detained by KDP for 83 days
11:51 Hunger strike action in prisons is on its 50th day
10:18 Northern and Eastern Syria are under attack: Hundreds of villages are left without electricity
14/01/2024
21:54 Journalists who reported on Jîna Emînî were released
19:58 Conference from TJA: Women will break the chain of silence
17:56 Temelli: The way to stop the pain is through peace
17:55 Enthusiastic welcome for Özbay, who was released after 31 years, in the public vote
17:54 Emphasis on struggle at the action demanding 'freedom for Abdullah Öcalan'
17:51 Mother and her 2 children injured in air strikes
17:49 Zap statement from HPG
17:48 Military operation in Şirnex countryside
17:47 Exuberant Serê Salê celebration in Êlih
13:59 Çiftyürek: Abdullah Öcalan must speak
13:54 Ahmet Türk withdrew his candidacy
13:04 Attack from Turkey on the electricity station in Ein Issa
13:02 A Kurd lost his life as a result of torture by the Iranian regime
11:13 Prisoner Kurt's release has been blocked for 14 months
10:32 No news from journalist detained by KDP for 82 days
10:20 Hunger strike action in prisons is on its 49th day
13/01/2024
18:13 Release demand for 70-year-old sick prisoner
14:23 No news from journalist detained by KDP for 81 days
14:22 Autonomous Administration's call for 'self-defense' against Turkey's attacks
13:07 'Sick prisoner Burak must be treated'
13:06 Call for social unity for Abdullah Öcalan
12:59 Lawyer Aras: The step that will ensure democratization is to lift the Imrali isolation
11:27 Hunger strike action in prisons is on its 48th day
12/01/2024
18:23 US and UK hit Yemen, global politics gets heated
18:22 TJA will organize a two-day conference in Amed
12:35 Pressure against prisoners increased in Şakran Prison
12:24 The prisoner whose sentence is uncertain is held in solitary confinement
11:53 No news from journalist detained by KDP for 80 days
11:50 Mothers and their imprisoned children demand 'freedom'
11:49 Amed is preparing for Serê Salê
11:33 Ill prisoners caught the epidemic
11:32 Daughter is worried about her imprisoned father's life: He must be treated
11:31 Hunger strike action in prisons is on its 47th day
11/01/2024
20:25 DEM Party CHP meeting ended: We talked about many issues, including the election
18:39 Two attacks on students at Ankara University on the same day
18:38 Relatives of prisoners who wanted to make a statement were detained
18:37 A Kurd was murdered in custody in Iran
13:36 Solidarity call for Halise Aksoy, who has been arrested for 9 months with witness statements
13:07 Attack on students from a racist group at Ankara University
13:00 Investigation in the blockaded neighborhood in Kirkuk
12:34 The case filed against TTB President Fincancı was postponed
12:33 KNK member Dr. Qadir: National unity is needed to preserve gains
11:37 Mother of prisoner on hunger strike: No one can break his will
11:22 Kurdish PEN strives for unity among writers in four parts
10:29 No news from journalist detained by KDP for 79 days