Hundreds of lawyers gathered in front of Turkey’s Constitutional Court (AYM) in Ankara on Friday, protesting the court’s failure to rule on appeals regarding the isolation of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan. The protest, attended by Öcalan’s legal team, bar association leaders and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party MPs, aimed to pressure the court into fulfilling its responsibility to address human rights violations.
The lawyers held a banner reading, “Apply the law in İmralı, end the isolation.” Serhat Çakmak, co-chair of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), stated that Öcalan has been held under extraordinary conditions at İmralı prison, where his basic rights have been systematically suspended. “For 42 months, we have had no legal or humanitarian news from Öcalan,” he said. “This is a place ruled by an extraordinary regime, where even basic legal safeguards are ignored.”
According to Çakmak, the isolation is enforced through disciplinary punishments that prevent family visits, and legal processes are kept secret from Öcalan’s lawyers, despite numerous appeals. “This regime of isolation is designed to sever all contact between Öcalan and the outside world, turning disciplinary measures into a tool for repression,” he added.
The lawyers have filed dozens of appeals with the Constitutional Court over the past nine years, challenging the conditions in İmralı prison. However, the court has failed to issue any rulings, which, according to Çakmak, undermines trust in the legal system. “The Constitutional Court plays a role in perpetuating this illegality by refusing to take action,” he said.
Meral Danış Beştaş, a DEM Party MP, criticised the Constitutional Court’s inaction, accusing it of following political orders from the ruling government. “The isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan has no legal basis. It is purely a political decision,” she said, adding that Öcalan remains a key figure in the Kurdish struggle for peace and dialogue.
Öztürk Türkdoğan, co-spokesperson of the DEM Party’s Law and Human Rights Commission, announced the formation of the Initiative for Justice Against Isolation, aimed at raising awareness of Öcalan’s isolation. “We will inform all political parties, diplomatic missions and the media about this situation. It is unacceptable that we have not heard from Öcalan for 43 months,” he stated.
The lawyers’ protest called on the Constitutional Court to take urgent action to end Öcalan’s isolation and restore legal rights at İmralı, urging a return to dialogue and peace efforts in Turkey.
