The Movement Against Racism and for Friendship Between Peoples (MRAP) has urged the United Nations to visit İmralı prison in Turkey, where Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan has been held in isolation since 1999.
In a statement presented on Thursday during the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, MRAP highlighted the extensive human rights violations committed by Turkey against the Kurdish population, particularly focusing on Öcalan’s continued solitary confinement.
MRAP condemned Turkey’s treatment of Kurdish identity, citing targeted attacks on Kurdish culture, language, and political expression. “There is a deep-rooted racism within the Turkish state against Kurdish symbols like folklore and music,” MRAP stated, emphasising that these actions violate Turkey’s own constitution and international human rights laws.
The organisation also highlighted the severe conditions faced by political prisoners in Turkey, pointing to disciplinary measures and extended isolation as forms of torture. They claimed that in İmralı, prisoners like Öcalan are denied basic rights such as regular contact with family and legal representation. “Despite court rulings, prisoners subjected to disciplinary actions are not released, and their isolation is prolonged arbitrarily, constituting a form of torture,” the statement added.
MRAP further called on the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and other international human rights mechanisms to demand access to İmralı. “The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner and all relevant bodies must focus on the situation in Turkey,” MRAP urged, stressing the need for immediate action to address these ongoing violations.
The statement concluded by demanding that Turkey implement international treaties it has ratified and follow through on recommendations issued by European and UN human rights bodies, including a prompt investigation into the conditions at İmralı.
