The Cortes de Aragon parliament’s Commission for Citizen Appearances and Human Rights welcomed Özlem Tanrıkulu, a member of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), on Wednesday. The meeting was prompted by a petition from various civil society associations and groups, urging the commission to address the situation of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan.
Tanrıkulu attended along with Pedro Lobera, National Secretary of International Relations at OSTA (Trade Union Organisation of Workers of Aragon). Lobera highlighted that “over 70 cities worldwide have called for a political resolution to the Kurdish question,” and remarked on the numerous talks and workshops aimed at raising awareness about the issue.
Outlining the dire situation of the Kurdish people, Tanrıkulu condemned the “violation of human rights” that Öcalan is experiencing after more than 25 years in isolation in the maximum-security prison island of İmralı.
To conclude her presentation, Tanrıkulu recalled that in “2023 there were campaigns, strikes, demonstrations and workshops against the policies of this prison”, and invited the deputies present in the room to “sign the letter requesting to send a delegation to the island to talk to the leader and check on his welfare”.
José Antonio Lagüéns described the situation in İmralı as “brutality and political repression”, assessing that “with this repression, Turkey is not deserving to be a member of the European Union”. Sergio Ortiz (PSOE) affirmed that “the Kurdish people need firm international support, which includes the support of the Aragonese Parliament”, and “urged that the rights of political association be respected and that the cases of political persecution cease”.
The global campaign for Öcalan’s freedom has been gathering momentum since the launch of the new ‘Freedom for Öcalan, A Political Solution for Kurdistan’ initiative in October 2023. Conferences were held last year in a total of 74 cities worldwide to launch the global push for an end to Öcalan’s 25-year incarceration. Kurdish organisations have called for 100,000 postcards to İmralı prison, where Öcalan is held.
