There has been no news from PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş, who are held in "absolute" isolation in Imrali Type F High Security Prison, for 38 months. With the aim of ending the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan and ensuring his physical freedom, the "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, solution to the Kurdish issue" campaign was launched with a joint statement made in 74 centers around the world on October 10, 2023. The campaign, supported by internationally known politicians, academics, scientists, writers, activists, institutions and organizations, is growing day by day. The campaign continues with marches, letter sending actions, and reading activities of Abdullah Öcalan's books.

 

The European Democratic Kurdish Society Congress (KCDK-E), which is leading the fight against the isolation in Imrali in Europe, continues its work with diplomatic initiatives in this context.

 

While the actions to send letters to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) continue, new mass actions are planned to start on June 1. On June 25, Kurds and their supporters will visit the "Freedom Watch" in Strasbourg, France, which has been going on for 12 years, and make a mass statement in front of the CPT.

 

Engin Sever, Co-chair of the Congress of Democratic Societies from European Kurdistan (KCDK-E), evaluated the campaign launched for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and the attitude of international powers.

 

Sever stated that the Kurds were wanted to be destroyed by the isolation policies that have been going on for 26 years against Öcalan, and said that the conspiracy and isolation policies were rendered futile with the resistance of Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurds. Emphasizing that Abdullah Öcalan foiled the conspiracy imposed on him with the paradigm he put forward,  “Today, Mr. Öcalan's paradigm has spread all over the world and the conspiratorial forces are afraid of it. For this reason, a policy of absolute non-communication and isolation is being implemented specifically for Mr. Öcalan" Sever said.

 

(Engin Sever, Co-chair of the

Congress of Democratic Societies of European Kurdistan (KCDK-E))

 

 

'OUR ANSWERER IS NOT TURKEY'

 

Noting that the Kurds and their supporters demanded the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, Sever stated that they gave the message that "the Kurdish issue will not be solved until Mr. Öcalan is free" with the campaign that was launched in 74 centers on October 10, 2023 and is still ongoing. Stating that their resistance against the isolation continues, Sever said: “We will continue our resistance by building our work in Europe on 3 pillars. The first is the diplomatic work carried out by the Kurds and their suporters. The second is mass actions, and the third is ensuring the spread of Mr. Öcalan's paradigm. The message that emerged from our studies clearly showed that the Kurds and their supporters will not accept this isolation. Our answerer is not the Turkish state that committed massacres, but the CPT, the Council of Europe and the ECHR."

 

'KURDS WANT PEACE' PROTECTIONS BEGINNING

 

Sever stated that they are planning a new action under the leadership of the Union of European Democratic Forces (ADGB) with the demands of "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and political prisoners, the Kurds want peace" and said that the actions will start as of June 1. Noting that they will work to make the protests grow and become massive with the same slogan in many parts of the world, especially in Europe,  "On June 25, we will visit the Freedom Watch, which continues in Strasbourg in its 12th year, and hold mass actions in front of the CPT. If our actions and activities do not yield results, we will continue our actions and activities for July-August" Sever said.

 

Sever said: "If the solution to the Kurdish issue is aimed, European states and the Council of Europe need to step in and take a stand against the unlawful acts committed by Turkey. If there is no step back from the isolation policies implemented, we will continue our struggle by escalating. We believe that we will abolished the isolation in 2024-2025. From here, we once again call on all peoples to raise their voices against isolation."

 

MA / Delal Akyüz