URFA - Condemning to the 3-month ban given to PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, his brother Mehmet Öcalan said: "Everyone should contribute to the end of the isolation in proportion to their strength. They should enlarge the democratic struggle."

 

There has been no news for over 21 months from PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and prisoners Ömer Hayri Konar, Veysi Aktaş and Hamili Yıldırım, who are being held in İmralı Type F High Security Closed Prison. Bursa Execution Judge informed the lawyers of Asrın Law Office on January 4 that Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners were given a new 3-month family visit ban. The reason for the ban was "disciplinary action"; however, the details of the reason were not reported. His brother Mehmet Öcalan, who had an intermittent phone call with Abdullah Öcalan on March 25, 2021, condemned to the ban.

 

'THE TURKISH STATE DOESN'T WANT THEIR VOICE TO BE HEARD'

 

Pointing out that the state uses "disciplinary punishments" as justification for the bans on meeting, Öcalan said: "The Turkish state write it themselves, it says it themselves. It's not going to happen. When a person does something, the state should give reasons but there is no reason reasons and it's a shame. What kind of disciplinary punishment can they receive behind bars? The state should give some logical reasons. My brother Abdullah Öcalan's voice is not wanted to be heard with the isolation."

 

CALL FOR 'DEMOCRATIC STRUGGLE'

 

Stating that the Imrali isolation is in its 24th year, Öcalan said: "The isolation has been aggravated after 2015. The isolation is based on the Kurdish problem. The system does not want any voice to be raised on the Kurdish question at this stage. There is a political and democratic struggle against it. We do not know the reason, so their aim is that Öcalan's voice should not be heard in Imrali. The democratic struggle needs to be enlarged because isolation is not against individuals, but against a will and people. This isolation is a big hurdle for democracy, just like the dam. Democrats, intellectuals, writers, Turks, Kurds, Arabs... Everyone is in proportion to their power. There is a lot of effort being made to end the isolation, but more effort is needed. It is necessary to raise the democratic struggle to a higher level. This is the legal and democratic right of the people."

 

MA / Müjdat Can