The aggravated isolation on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, held in Imrali Island, has been going on for 23 years. The applications made for a visit were left unanswered since the 'interrutped' phonecall he made with his brother on March 25, 2021 while the applications of his lawyers were left unanswered since August 7, 2019. AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who mentioned Öcalan's name when he said, "The one in Edirne will be held to account by the one in İmralı" referring to former HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş and PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, once again used Öcalan's name last night on a TV show and said, "That must be asked to Abdullah Öcalan."

 

Speaking to the Mesopotamia Agency regarding Erdogan's statements about the PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, his brother Mehmet Öcalan stated that the law in Imrali was non existant, and that he should be allowed to be visited by his family and his lawyers like every prisoner. Reacting to the statements made on behalf of his brother, Mehmet Öcalan said, "Let him speak for himself, Öcalan can express his opinions himself."

 

ABDULLAH ÖCALAN'S LEGAL RIGHTS VIOLATED

 

Referring to Erdoğan's latest statements, Mehmet Öcalan pointed out that instead of speaking on behalf of his brother, his brother must be allowed to be visited by his family and lawyers as is his right. Öcalan said: "The president is doing politics using my brother's name. We don't know what's going on in there. Our all means of communication with İmralı is cut off in all aspects. On Imrali Island, democratic and legal rights have been usurped and ignored."

 

FAMILY AND LAWYER VISITS MUST BE ALLOWED

 

Mehmet Öcalan said, "I don't think it would be right to evaluate and make comments over a person who doesn't have the right to speak out" and underlined once again that they demand Öcalan's right to be visited by his family and lawyers. Stating that the family and lawyer visits were banned using the pandemic as an excuse, Öcalan said: "But the reality is way different than that. Everybody knows that. Öcalan has a legal problem. He twice told that the legal problem must be discussed with his lawyers. We don't know what's going on in there, we don't know if he is still alive or not. This is his democratic right."

 

LAWS DO NOT APPLY TO IMRALI

 

Stating that the Turkish state does not implement its own laws in Imrali Island, Öcalan said, “The rights in the laws written here are not implemented here. Everyone knows this. Because Öcalan is not a personality, he has a power of representation. Were we able to do anything about this? Turkish state says that it will not implement its own laws in İmralı. We should have done something as the people. Öcalan must be allowed to speak on his behalf. They should stop speaking for him. This is the healthy way to do it."

 

That's the point. The state says, I do not accept rights here. He says that the laws he wrote do not apply to Imrali Island. We as a people had to do something. Öcalan is not a person. He is a person with weight in the Middle East. What did we do?” 

 

MA/ Müjdat Can