In response to the ongoing isolation of Abdullah Öcalan, MPs from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) submitted a motion on Thursday for a parliamentary investigation, asserting that millions are calling for an end to the solitary confinement imposed on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader.
The motion, presented on the anniversary of Öcalan’s capture and delivery to Turkey on 15 February 1999 following a chain of events defined by the Kurdish community as an international conspiracy, seeks to initiate a Parliamentary Investigation in accordance with the Constitution’s Article 98 and the Rules of Procedure Articles 104 and 105, to uncover the social, political, economic and legal impacts of the continued isolation on Öcalan and to identify solutions.
The motion, presented on the anniversary of Öcalan’s capture and delivery to Turkey on 15 February 1999 following a chain of events defined by the Kurdish community as an international conspiracy, seeks to initiate a Parliamentary Investigation in accordance with the Constitution’s Article 98 and the Rules of Procedure Articles 104 and 105, to uncover the social, political, economic and legal impacts of the continued isolation on Öcalan and to identify solutions.
The proposal highlights the urgency of addressing the Kurdish issue, which has persisted for over a century, leading to the loss of tens of thousands of lives, the displacement of millions and substantial economic losses. The MPs argue that the root of Turkey’s multifaceted crises lies in the unresolved Kurdish issue.
They recall the “Solution Process” between 2013-2015, a period of peace and negotiation talks between the government and Öcalan, which was unilaterally terminated by the government in 2015, leading back to militaristic and security-focused policies.
The motion emphasises that the intensified isolation of Öcalan, especially the complete lack of communication in the last 35 months, not only breaches human rights but also hampers the democratic resolution of the Kurdish issue and further deepens the economic crisis in Turkey.
