ANKARA - Stating that the size of the isolation changes periodically according to the perspectives of the governments on the Kurdish Question, HDP VQA Member Cihan Aydın said: "The atmosphere of chaos and turmoil will continue as long as the isolation policy is not abandoned."

 

There has been no news for 20 months from PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held under heavy isolation conditions in İmralı Type F High Security Prison. Abdullah Öcalan's lawyers requested an "immediate meeting" with the Bursa Penal Execution Judge on November 22, 2021, but the application was rejected wit citing the 6-month lawyer's ban on October 12, 2021 and the 3-month family visit ban on August 18, 2021. Despite the end of the ban on November 18, 2021, Abdullah Öcalan's lawyers, who were also prevented from meeting with his family on the grounds of "disciplinary" penalties, brought to the Constitutional Court (AYM) the prevention of family visits with "unlawful" disciplinary penalties on May 12.

 

The last meeting with Abdullah Öcalan was the telephone conversation with his brother Mehmet Öcalan on March 25, 2021. Mehmet Öcalan announced that this meeting was interrupted.

 

APPLICATIONS WAS NOT ANSWERED

 

After this meeting, there is no news from Imrali for 20 months, and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chairs Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, Party Spokesperson Ebru Günay and Abdullah Öcalan's nephew Ömer Öcalan, a member of the HDP Central Executive Board, applied to the Ministry of Justice with a request for a meeting. Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Saliha Aydeniz and HDP MPs Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Nuran İmir and Erdal Aydemir made a similar application to the Ministry of Justice, which did not respond to the application.

 

A GOVERNMENT POLICY

 

Stating that the extent of isolation changes periodically according to the perspectives of the governments on the Kurdish Question, Aydın said: “Lawyers have made demands on this issue many times before. There have been insistent demands for the end of this isolation policy, signed by hundreds and thousands of lawyers, but unfortunately the government also insists on maintaining its strict isolation policy on this issue. There is no legal basis for leaving applications unanswered. This is a state policy.”

 

CHAOS ENVIRONMENT IN SOCIETY

 

Pointing out that the atmosphere of chaos and turmoil in the society will continue as long as the state does not abandon this policy, Aydın said: “As a matter of fact, both the Kurds and the Turkish society experienced this situation as a whole in the previous periods. Therefore, it is essential that this isolation policy be ended as soon as possible and that all restrictions on meeting Mr. Öcalan's lawyers and family be lifted.”

 

WILL IT INVOLVE SANCTIONS ON TURKEY?

 

Noting that some results have been achieved in the international law regarding the isolation on Abdullah Öcalan, Aydın said: "Turkey has difficulties in implementing the ECtHR decisions. This approach will cause certain sanctions for Turkey. The Committee of Ministers should first warn and ask for a road map from Turkey. If it does not fulfill these, the council membership will be suspended and removed from the membership. We will all watch and see whether the Council of Europe will operate such a procedure."

 

MA / Fırat Can Arslan