In a television programme on 20 February, Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç answered a question on whether the expected statement by PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan would be video recorded. Minister Tunç said, "In our legislation, there is no such situation as a convict adressing the public with a video. It is necessary to eliminate misunderstandings."

 

Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan responded to Minister Tunç's remarks yesterday. Bakırhan pointed out that PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan was preparing to make a "historic" statement on the solution of the Kurdish issue and the democratisation of Turkey, and said, "A valuable call will be made for the centuries-old problem. When a call is to be made, do you remind the legislation? I invite the minister to be serious."

 

Minister Tunç's statement on "legislation" brought to the agenda the violations in İmralı Type F High Security Closed Prison where PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan is held. PKK Leader Öcalan has been held in İmralı Prison since he was brougt to Turkey on 15 February 1999 by an international conspiracy. Prisoners Hamili Yıldırım, Ömer Hayri Konar and Veysi Aktaş have also been in İmralı Prison since 16-17 March 2015.

 

ALL RIGHTS ARE VIOLATED

 

Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners held in solitary confinement have been prevented from meeting with their families and lawyers for many years on various grounds. These preventions are justified by "disciplinary penalties". Between 2021-2024, Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners were given disciplinary penalties at least 8 times for 3 months each. Family visits were prevented on the grounds of these penalties. The reasons and file numbers of the disciplinary penalties were not shared with the lawyers despite all applications. Finally, the lawyers who applied to Bursa Execution Judgeship in October were informed that Abdullah Öcalan was given a new 3-month "disciplinary punishment" on 16 October 2024. No information on the reason for this "punishment" was shared.

 

Since 27 July 2011, Abdullah Öcalan has only had 5 meetings with his lawyer between May and August 2019. The last of the 5 meetings was on 7 August 2019. Again, since 2014, Abdullah Öcalan has had only 6 family visits. Abdullah Öcalan last had a face-to-face meeting with his nephew Ömer Öcalan on 23 October 2024. In this meeting, Öcalan underlined that the isolation still continues.

 

In addition to family and lawyer meetings, the communication rights of prisoners in İmralı are also usurped. Every prisoner serving aggravated life imprisonment has the right to make phone calls to their families twice a month for 10 minutes each. However, this right is not implemented for the prisoners in İmralı. Öcalan has been able to make phone calls only twice so far (on 27 April 2020 and 25 March 2021). The last phone call on 25 March 2021 was interrupted very shortly.

 

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled in 2014 that the sentencing of Abdullah Öcalan to aggravated life imprisonment without the right to conditional release (right to hope) is a "violation". The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE), in its meeting held between 17-19 September, discussed the ECtHR's violation decision and warned Turkey to take the necessary measures without delay, otherwise an interim decision would be prepared at its meeting in September 2025. However, despite the "violation" judgement and warnings, no steps have been taken yet.

 

MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli, in his group meeting on 22 October, acknowledged the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan and conditioned the "liquidation of the organization" for the "right to hope", for which the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe said "take the necessary measures".

 

The lawyers of the Asrin Law Office have been making new applications to both the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the İmralı Prison Directorate every week requesting a meeting. However, despite this, the applications made by the lawyers are not responded to.

 

MA / Emrullah Acar