İSTANBUL - EMEP President Selma Gürkan who stated that the fact that PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan is not allowed to be visited by his attorneys is a political decision, stated that the isolation on Öcalan can only be removed by raising the struggle for peace and democracy.

 

Attorneys of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan was able to visit their client as a result of the hunger strike Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-chair Leyla Güven has initiated and continued for more than 200 days. The attorneys who made 3 more visits on May 22, June 12 and 18, haven't been getting any response to their applications for 2 months. Labour Party (EMEP) President Selma Gürkan who reacted to the fact that Öcalan is prevented from being visited by his attorneys, said it is a political decision rather than a lawful one. Gürkan who stated that Öcalan is being treated as a hostage, stated that the only way to prevent this is to raise the struggle for peace and democracy.

 

‘ÖCALAN IS AN IMPORTANT ACTOR FOR PEACE’

 

Underlining that the visitation ban on Öcalan's attorneys is a political attitude, Gürkan said: "The political orientations of power, the struggle of democracy and peace forces and the political developments in the region (Middle East) will determine how long this attitude will continue. The attitude of the government towards Öcalan cannot be separated from the attitude towards the Kurdish question. Since everyone accepts that Öcalan is an important actor in terms of the democratic peaceful solution of the Kurdish problem through negotiation, this attitude towards him reveals the attitude of the government towards the Kurdish question."

 

Gürkan stating that forces of peace, democracy and labour has great responsibility in this process, said: "Our only duty is to prevent the repressive and expansionist policies of the regime. Today, especially with the intervention attempts towards the east of the Euphrates, the interventionist, expansionist policies against the democracy in the country  what we have to do is to raise the struggle for peace and democracy. To prevent Öcalan from being treated as a political hostage lies in this struggle."