Abdullah Öcalan, held under conditions of absolute isolation on Turkey’s İmralı Island Prison, to date has not been heard from in 33 months. Over the course of 2023, international action pushing for Öcalan’s release intensified, culminating with the launch of a global campaign, ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, a political solution to the Kurdish issue’ in the autumn.
🔴 #FLASHBACK2023 | A panorama of the international campaigns for Abdullah Öcalan's freedom. A year of relentless efforts, events and that echoed around the world.#Panorama | #FreedomForOcalan | #GlobalCampaignhttps://t.co/Fn9H4tQzeC pic.twitter.com/Lnn0Cf96RF
— MedyaNews (@1MedyaNews) December 27, 2023
The prolonged absence of any information on Öcalan’s health or well-being has spurred campaigning in 2023 onto another level from previous years. Almost every day, countless marches, statements, panels, conferences, and workshops were held in Turkey, Europe and beyond.
In this review, we provide a brief background on Öcalan, a breakdown of legal action that has taken place during 2023 towards lifting the isolation imposed on him, followed by a summary of this year’s events advocating internationally for Öcalan’s freedom, part of a wider campaign for a democratic resolution of the Kurdish issue.
Background
Öcalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was captured and imprisoned by Turkey on 9 October 1998, in what his supporters described as an ‘international conspiracy’ , following several months on the run, a period described by Öcalan as a “crucifixion”, after having been expelled from Syria.
Incarcerated in a specially designed F-type High Security Prison on İmralı island in the Marmara Sea, the PKK leader has been held under conditions of severe isolation for 25 years, an under total incommunicado status for the last 33 consecutive months.
For the first 12 years of his confinement in İmralı, Abdullah Öcalan’s right to meet with his lawyers was limited to one hour per week, but these applications were continually obstructed due to “boat malfunction” or “bad weather”, allegedly preventing access to the island.
Lawyer visits, halted entirely for several years after 27 July 2011, were permitted in 2019 five times following hunger strike action, led by Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-President Leyla Güven, which spread within prisons. However, the reprieve was temporary, and lawyer visits to Imrali have since continued to be obstructed under the guise of “disciplinary” sanctions against Öcalan.
Öcalan has been allowed only five family visits since 2014. The last face-to-face meeting was on 3 March 2020 with his brother Mehmet Öcalan. During his 25 years in İmralı, the PKK leader has been allowed only two phone calls, the first on 27 April 2020 and the second, interrupted, on 25 March 2021. Reportedly the last call was cut as Öcalan stated, “The state is playing the game wrong.”
Summary of this year’s legal action:
169 APPLICATIONS TO VISIT ÖCALAN
During 2023 Öcalan’s lawyers made 110 applications to meet their client, while his family made 59 visitation requests over the last year. Twelve lawyer and nine family visit applications were made immediately after the major February earthquake hit the region, in response to heightened concerns over Öcalan’s safety.
365 DAYS, 6 ‘DISCIPLINARY’ SANCTIONS
Family and lawyer visit applications continued to be systematically rejected throughout the year, under “disciplinary sanctions”. In 2023 Öcalan faced four three-month family visit bans and two six-month lawyer visit bans.
LAWYER APPLICATIONS TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL BODIES
Öcalan’s lawyers made eight applications to Turkey’s Constitutional Court (AYM) in 2023, including one due to the earthquake, four due to the denial of family visits, and two due to the non-implementation of lawyer visits. They also made an application for the non-implementation of the United Nations Human Rights Committee’s interim decision.
On 6 January 2023, the lawyers applied to the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) demanding the removal of the ban on lawyer visits.
Over the course of the year, Öcalan’s lawyers made four separate applications to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), requesting the disclosure of the report prepared following CPT’s 2022 visit to İmralı.
6TH NOTIFICATION TO THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
The lawyers notified the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in January 2023, again regarding the non-implementation of the European Court of Human Rights’ (ECHR) 18 March 2014 ruling on Abdullah Öcalan’s aggravated life imprisonment. They had previously made five such notifications.
OPEN LETTER TO THE TURKISH JUSTICE MINISTRY
On 14 March 2023, the lawyers sent an open letter to the Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ, stating that Abdullah Öcalan was being held in an undefined space outside the legal system in a hostage status, and questioning Bozdağ’s awareness of responsibilities as Justice Minister.
Summary of campaign events during 2023:
SELF-IMMOLATION AGAINST ISOLATION
Two tragic cases of self-immolation took place during January in Turkey, both to protest the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı prison. Bubo Taş, 65, fatally set himself on fire in Mardin’s (Mêrdîn) Artuklu district, and a week later, Mehmet Akar, 25, burnt himself to death on the city wall of Diyarbakır (Amed).
TWO MILLION SIGNATURES COLLECTED IN NORTH SYRIA
The People’s Initiative of North and East Syria, along with the Freedom Initiative for Abdullah Öcalan-Syria, launched a signature campaign against the isolation imposed in İmralı and the lack of news on prisoners held on the island. Over 2 million signatures were collected and sent to the CPT.
THREE-DAY ACTION AGAINST DEEPENED ISOLATION AT THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
On 23 January 2023, Kurds and their allies, organised by the European Democratic Kurdish Society Congress (KCDK-E), protested for three days in front of the Parliamentary building of the Council of Europe (CoE) in Strasbourg, France, against the deepened isolation of Abdullah Öcalan.
INTERNATIONAL DELEGATION IN TURKEY
An International Delegation Against Isolation, a group of 36 consisting of lawyers, journalists and academics from seven different countries, held meetings in Istanbul, Ankara and Diyarbakır between 25 and 27 January, primarily with Abdullah Öcalan’s lawyers, as well as civil society organisations and political parties.
MARCH TO IMRALI, POSTPONED
The Democratic Society Congress (DTK), Free Women’s Movement (TJA), Democratic Regions Party (DBP), now-defunct Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), and prisoners’ rights organisations planned a ‘Gemlik March’ under the slogan ‘Marching to İmralı for a solution’, which was set to start from two different routes on 6 February. The march was postponed due to the earthquakes.
ABDULLAH ÖCALAN POSTER AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
On 15 February, the anniversary of Öcalan’s capture, Kurdish youths unveiled a poster of Abdullah Öcalan in the General Assembly Hall of the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg, France, chanting, “We are out of patience, freedom for Leader Apo (Öcalan).”
FREEDOM BANNER IN ATHENS
A ‘Freedom for Öcalan’ campaign banner was displayed during the Euroleague basketball match between Panathinaikos and Barcelona in Athens on 23 March.
FREEDOM FOR ÖCALAN ON HIS BIRTHDAY
On Abdullah Öcalan’s birthday, 4 April, celebrations were held worldwide, protesting his isolation in İmralı and demanding the PKK leader’s freedom. Trees were planted in various places in his honour, while young people in Hakkari (Colemerg) took to the streets, releasing wish lanterns demanding his release. Other 4 April celebrations took place globally, and in Turkey, a march was organised under the slogan ‘Marching to Amara for Freedom’ led by the aforementioned DTK, TJA, DBP and HDP, and joined by prisoners’ rights organisations.
SALUTE TO İMRALI FROM GERMANY
On 15 April, tens of thousands participated in a march in Düsseldorf, Germany, organised by the European Democratic Forces Union and the Platform of Kurdish Institutions in Europe, demanding freedom for Abdullah Öcalan.
ABDULLAH ÖCALAN WORKSHOP IN BEIRUT
On 13 June, a ‘Democratic Middle East – Together for the Path to Peace’ workshop was organised in Lebanon’s capital Beirut. This event, focusing on the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan and strategies for the struggle against it, was a collaborative effort between the Permanent Federal Congress of Lebanon, Newroz Cultural Association, Multicultural East Platform, Demokratia Novu Orao Seclorum and Resilient Beirut. Participants from various countries including Lebanon, Iraq, Tunisia, Sudan, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, South Africa, Iran, Turkey and North and East Syria, comprising legal experts, politicians and academics, attended the workshop. A unified call for solidarity with the cause was made during the event.
LAWYERS’ APPEAL TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Lawyers from North and East Syria filed a new petition to the United Nations on 9 July, requesting a meeting with Abdullah Öcalan. Criticising the CPT’s silence on the matter, the petition strongly condemned the “inhumane and illegal practices of the Turkish state”.
YOUTH PROTESTS IN EUROPEAN CITIES
The Kurdish Youth Movement (Tevgera Ciwanên Şoreşger-TCŞ) and the Young Fighting Women (Jinên Ciwan ên Têkoşer-TekoJIN) organised marches in various European cities including Germany and France on 29 July. The demonstrators demanded freedom for Abdullah Öcalan.
On 21 August, a day of the annual “Time for Hope” event organised by Radio Onda d’urto in Brescia, Italy, was dedicated to advocating for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and the self-determination right of Kurds, with significant participation.
‘URGENT’ CALL FROM FREEDOM UNION
On 26 July, representatives of unions operating internationally under the ‘Freedom for Öcalan Trade Union Campaign’ made an ‘urgent call’ statement at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, focusing on the 24 year-long aggravated isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan.
‘TIME FOR HOPE’ EVENT IN ITALY
On 21 August, a day of the annual “Time for Hope” event organised by Radio Onda d’urto in Brescia, Italy, was dedicated to advocating for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and the self-determination right of Kurds, with significant participation.
FREEDOM JOURNEY
Kurdish and internationalist youth embarked on a ‘Journey of Freedom’ (Rêwîtiya Azadiyê) action from 3 to 8 September, travelling between the cities of Dortmund and Cologne in Germany to advocate for Abdullah Öcalan’s physical freedom.
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ACTION AT SACRÉ COEUR
On 23 September, a civil disobedience action was held at the Sacré Coeur (White Church) in Paris, France, by Kurds and their supporters. The aim was to demand the lifting of the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan and to secure his physical freedom. Participants gathered on the steps of the White Church, holding photographs of Abdullah Öcalan and banners in French calling for his freedom.
‘INTERNATIONAL CONSPIRACY’ CONDEMNED
9 October saw events commemorating the 25th anniversary of the ‘international conspiracy’ against Abdullah Öcalan. Mass statements in cities like Istanbul and Diyarbakir, as well as protests in various parts of the world, marked the occasion.
GLOBAL FREEDOM FOR ÖCALAN CAMPAIGN
Kurds and their allies launched a new ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, A Political Solution to the Kurdish Issue’ campaign on 10 October, a day after the anniversary of the international conspiracy, in 74 centres across Europe. Numerous events took place in Turkey, Europe and globally. Statements of support for the campaign were issued by various groups, including Tamil organisations, Sinjar (Shengal), youth organisations, lawyers, women and activists from around the world.
The campaign, involving marches, statements, panels, conferences and workshops, continues in over 100 countries.
‘CALL FOR PEACE’ DECLARATION BY 78 INDIVIDUALS
In Istanbul, a ‘Call for Peace’ declaration was released on 28 October by 78 individuals, including journalists, artists, writers, politicians and intellectuals. The declaration called for an end to the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan and a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue.
FREEDOM APPEAL BY 172 ORGANISATIONS
In Diyarbakir, 172 organisations, including civil society groups and political parties, issued a declaration on 29 October titled ‘A Call for Freedom from Now to the Future’.
DEM PARTY’S REQUEST FOR MEETING
The Co-Presidents of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, along with other DEM Party parliamentarians, applied to Turkey’s Justice Ministry for a meeting with Öcalan.
HUMAN CHAIN FOR ABDULLAH ÖCALAN
A human chain action was organised on 3 November in Lucerne, Switzerland, as part of the ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, A Political Solution to the Kurdish Issue’ campaign.
POLITICAL RIGHTS AND ABDULLAH ÖCALAN CASE IN ITALIAN PARLIAMENT
A press conference titled ‘Political Rights and the Case of Abdullah Öcalan in Turkey’ was held on 8 November in the Italian Parliament. The conference called for Italy to fulfil its responsibilities in breaking the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan and ensuring his freedom.
MARCH TO GEMLIK
The postponed march to Gemlik was reorganised for the 18-19 November in Istanbul and Diyarbakir, with the participation of tens of thousands from Hakkari to Edirne. The march, which included participants from Kurdish cities on 18 November and from the Aegean and Central Anatolia regions on 19 November, demanded Öcalan’s freedom and a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue.
THOUSANDS OF PRISONERS ON HUNGER STRIKE
On 27 November, as part of the ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, A Political Solution to the Kurdish Issue’ campaign, thousands of prisoners across 104 Turkish prisons began a hunger strike, demanding Öcalan’s freedom. To support the prisoners’ action, relatives also began ‘Justice Vigils’ in various cities.
HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION’S APPLICATION TO VISIT İMRALI
The Human Rights Association (İHD) applied to the Justice Ministry on 29 November to send a delegation to the İmralı F-Type High Security Prison.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DELEGATION IN TURKEY
On 9 December, a seven-member International Women’s Delegation, including legal professionals, parliamentarians, ecologists and representatives of civil society organisations from various European countries, visited Turkey. The delegation, which also met with Abdullah Öcalan’s lawyers, will present their report on the situation of incommunicado and isolation in İmralı to international organisations such as the CPT, UN and the CoE.
ABDULLAH ÖCALAN BOOK READING DAY
The ‘Global Öcalan Books Day’ was organised in 160 centres on 10 December. Philosopher Slavoj Zizek participated in these book reading days, which aim to spread Abdullah Öcalan’s paradigm and ideas.
Philosopher Slavoj Žižek joins Global Öcalan Books Day, praising Abdullah Öcalan’s work as a “metaphysical beauty”. Žižek explores the core of contemporary subjectivity issues in Öcalan’s text.https://t.co/bMxzpjQOGW #OcalanBooksDay | #Žižek | #AbdullahOcalan pic.twitter.com/JyRX1JJyXu
— MedyaNews (@1MedyaNews) December 16, 2023
The event continues in many centres worldwide.
