İSTANBUL - Stating that the CPT report is important but insufficient, political party representatives called on to the CPT to fulfil its duties.

 

The Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), affiliated with the Council of Europe, shared its report on the Imrali F Type High Security Prison, which it visited between May 6-17, 2019. The CPT emphasized that a "permanent system" where regular family and lawyer visits of the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and 3 other names who are held in the island should be established, and that the detention regime applied in Imrali should be completely reviewed.

 

Stating that the report is important but insufficient, political party representatives reminded that the job of the CPT is not only to identify violations, but also to force the states that carry out the violations.

 

AVCI: WHY WAS THE REPORT ANNOUNCED LATE?

 

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Istanbul Provincial Co-chair Erdal Avcı stated that the Imrali isolation system was once again registered with the CPT report, which he stated was full of deficiencies, although important.

 

Stating that the CPT's mission is to prevent torture, but did not fulfill this duty properly, Avcı emphasized why the report was announced so late. Avcı drew attention to the fact that the CPT had to go to İmralı Island due to the pressure of democratic circles and created public opinion, however the report was announced 16 months later. Avcı underlined that every delay caused the living conditions of the prisoners in Imrali to worsen.

 

ÖNEREN: DETERMINING THE PROBLEM ISN'T ENOUGH

 

United Revolutionary Party Chairman Elif Torun Öneren stated that the CPT report announced 16 months later, although inadequate, once again revealed the extent of the isolation imposed on Öcalan and other detainees in Imrali. Öneren said that the isolation in Imrali is practiced throughout the country today and said: "It is unacceptable for an institution whose duty is to prevent torture, only making determinations.". "If the problem can be determined, there is definitely a solution. If an institution that can do something to solve the problem does not do anything, it is not sincere in its determinations."

 

 

Stating that all problems experienced in Turkey is intertwined with each other, Öneren told that the isolation on Öcalan is the first of those problems. Stating that the revolutionaries, forces of democracy, workers, women and all segments of society must fight against this, Öneren said: "The forces of democracy must reach every layer of society. Everyone who has been marginalized, especially the working class, needs to come together and draw an all-out line of struggle. As the Revolutionary Party, our campaign "We will defeat fascism, hope is in socialism" continues. In this sense, we need to get all the forces of democracy together and make our struggle grow stronger."

 

MA / Erdoğan Alayumat