Turkey’s Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said on Wednesday that authorities are assessing a request for Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), to meet with his family on İmralı Island. The announcement for a family visit application came five months after the first family visit that took place on 23 October with Öcalan’s nephew, Şanlıurfa (Riha) MP Ömer Öcalan, following 43 months of isolation.
“There is a request for a family visit to İmralı, and we are evaluating it within the legal framework,” Tunç said in response to questions before a parliamentary group meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). He added that any decision would be made in accordance with existing regulations governing prisoner rights.
Öcalan, jailed since 1999, has been held under strict isolation. His recent meeting with family was with his nephew, Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party MP Ömer Öcalan, who also conveyed a message from Abdullah Öcalan on 23 October 2024. This family visit marked a significant moment, as Abdullah Öcalan’s last direct contact with his family was in 2020.
Tunç also commented on the recent arrests of journalists during protests linked to İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s legal troubles, stating that their cases would be reviewed to determine if they were involved in provocations. Press freedom groups have condemned the detentions, calling for transparency in the legal process.
