The Turkish government is acting as if it is operating outside the law and disregarding its obligations by imposing absolute isolation on prisoners in İmralı Island Prison, said Green Left Party MP Ömer Öcalan during his parliamentary speech on Thursday.
The MP, who is also the nephew of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan, emphasised the importance of adherence to the law, given that Turkey is a country supposedly governed by the rule of law, with a law of execution, a constitution, and respect for human rights.
He recalled that the ongoing incommunicado detention in İmralı Prison being implemented is in violation of Turkey’s own laws and stressed that it is crucial for the country to comply with these laws and uphold the principles they represent.
“For the past 28 months, both our family and lawyers have been unable to visit Mr Öcalan in İmralı,” said the Kurdish politician.
The MP also referred to the “unfortunate” arrest of journalist Merdan Yanardağ for criticising the government’s policies over the ongoing isolation in İmralı Prison.
PKK leader Öcalan has been held in solitary confinement on İmralı Island since his arrest in 1999. He has been denied access to his lawyers and family members, with all forms of communication strictly controlled by the Turkish authorities, and held incommunicado for over two years. This denial of access to his family and legal representatives has raised concerns among international human rights organisations.
