MERSİN -  Mehdi Zana Akkaya from ÖHD, one of the lawyers who applied for a meeting with the Ministry of Justice regarding Imralı, stated that the democratic solution to the Kurdish issue is through meeting with Abdullah Öcalan.

 

The absence of news from PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan, who is held in absolute isolation in Imralı Type F High Security Closed Prison, has entered its 35th month. Supporters of the Kurds, who demand physical freedom of Abdullah Ocalan, launched a global campaign "Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan, solution to the Kurdish issue". On November 27, 2023, political prisoners started a hunger strike as part of the campaign. Relatives of prisoners and Mothers for Peace started Justice Watch in many cities. On January 22, 1,330 lawyers applied to the Ministry of Justice to meet with the prisoners in Imralı.

 

IMRALI ISOLATION

 

Mehdi Zana Akkaya, a member of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), one of the signatories, spoke about the application. Akkaya stated that the isolation imposed on Abdullah Ocalan has continued since he was caught in an international conspiracy in 1999 and put in Imrali Prison, by preventing him from meeting with his lawyer, family and guardian. Underlining that the isolation was put in place to keep Abdullah Ocalan away from society and isolate him, Akkaya reminded that Abdullah Ocalan was not allowed to meet with his lawyers continuously for 8 years, from 2011 to 2019, and that he only met with his lawyers 5 times in 2019. Akkaya stated that the isolation imposed on Abdullah Ocalan amounted to "torture" and emphasized that this situation was also included in the reports prepared by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) after their visit to Imralı.

 

‘THE SOLUTION IS MEETING WITH ABDULLAH OCALAN'

 

Underlining that all the social, political and economic crises experienced in the country are closely linked to the isolation imposed in Imralı, Akkaya stated that the reason for this is that the government wants to solve the Kurdish issue through war. Akkaya said: “Everyone is aware of the undeniable interlocutor position of Abdullah Ocalan in the solution of the Kurdish issue. We also know the fact that millions of people say 'Abdullah Ocalan is my leader'. When there is no dialogue process with Ocalan, there is war. A huge war economy is spent on this. Because of this war, people are experiencing great poverty and unemployment. When there is no meeting with Ocalan, there is nothing left but to fight, and the parties have been fighting for a long time, especially due to the lack of this dialogue process.”

 

Stating that the democratic solution to the Kurdish issue can only be achieved by meeting with Abdullah Ocalan and that social welfare can only be achieved in this way, Akkaya pointed out the period between 2013 and 2015, when the democratic solution of the Kurdish issue was aimed between the state and Abdullah Ocalan and was called the "Solution/Dialogue process", and said: "We all saw the social and political relief of that period. If such a process happens again, we may experience those periods again.”

 

‘THIS ISSUE IS NOT JUST THE ISSUE OF THE KURDS'

 

Akkaya reminded that 775 lawyers registered in 29 different bar associations across Turkey, then 350 lawyers from 22 different countries, especially European countries, 756 lawyers from the Middle East, and finally, on January 22, 1,330 lawyers from 35 bar associations applied to the Ministry of Justice with the demand to break the isolation and said that such legal initiatives are important to break the isolation.

 

Akkaya stated that the authorities remained silent despite all the initiatives and continued his speech as follows: “Such silence is due to the politicization of the judiciary. All other institutions, especially the judiciary, are under pressure from the government. We believe that the prosperity of the people of the Middle East can be achieved by abandoning the methods of war. For this, we think that Abdullah Ocalan must be met. Today's political power tried this in the recent period, but unfortunately the government used this situation to continue its own power. This situation is not just a problem of the Kurds or the opposition. We know that dominant identities are also affected while going through this process. We have seen many soldiers die in a very recent period. As long as this situation continues, war will continue and people will die. Therefore, opposing the isolation is this society's right to peace. Everyone who deserves peace must struggle. Everyone needs to approach this situation correctly."

 

MA / Ergin Çağlar