IHD Branch Chair Yılmaz says primary obstacle to solution is isolation

  • actual
  • 11:22 1 November 2024
  • |
img

AMED - Stating that the meeting in İmralı after 43 months does not mean that the isolation has been lifted, IHD Amed Branch Chair Ercan Yılmaz said: “It is important to open dialog channels, but the actors should be in positions to play their roles here.” 

PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held in isolation in İmralı Type F High Security Prison for more than 25 years, was able to have a family visit after 43 months. Abdullah Öcalan, who met with his nephew Ömer Öcalan, a member of parliament for the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), on October 23 in İmralı, pointed out that the isolation still continues and said: “If the conditions are created, I have the theoretical and practical power to move this process from the grounds of conflict and violence to the legal and political grounds.”
 
While discussions on the Kurdish issue, which is one of the top agendas of the public, continue, no steps have been taken apart from the statements of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its partner Turkish Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). 
 
Human Rights Association (IHD) Amed Branch Chair Ercan Yılmaz made evaluations on the Kurdish issue and isolation. 
 
'IT IS NOT A PRACTICE THAT LIFTS ISOLATION'
 
Yılmaz said that since the day Abdullah Öcalan was brought to Turkey, all his rights have been violated. Noting that the isolation policy initiated in İmralı has been reflected on all prisons and society in time, Yılmaz referred to the meeting held after 43 months of no communication and added: “This in itself is not a practice that lifts the isolation. We can talk about the lifting of isolation with the routine use of all the rights that a prisoner has access to, such as lawyer meetings, telephone calls and letters.” Yılmaz reminded that Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş, the other prisoners held in İmralı, are also being held in isolation and no news has been received from them.
 
Yılmaz pointed out that Abdullah Öcalan's calls to “stop the war” have found a serious response in the society. Yılmaz said that the “dialogue process” initiated with Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı in 2013 and ended in 2015 created a serious hope in both the Kurdish people and the people of Turkey, but that many people lost their lives and violations of rights increased in the clashes that started afterwards. Stating that the damages caused by the war in society should be made visible in all its dimensions, especially economic, social and human rights, Yılmaz said: “We need to be reminded again and again of the violations experienced in the last 9 years in relation to the Kurdish issue and we need to talk again and again about how the achievement of peace will make society breathe a sigh of relief.”
 
RIGHT TO HOPE 
 
Stating that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)'s 2014 ruling on Abdullah Öcalan's “right to hope”, which Turkey has not taken any steps on for 10 years, has been discussed in the public after MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli's statements, Yılmaz said: “Bahçeli's statement ‘The right to hope can be discussed if these, these, these conditions are met’ is exactly what we have been objecting to for years. None of the fundamental human rights can be conditional. We are talking about a fundamental human right. This right does not disappear when its subject is Öcalan or a person in prison for PKK membership. This right applies equally to everyone. Even a basic right to life is discussed according to who the subject is. This is very wrong. Let us emphasize once again that everyone living in Turkey should be equal in terms of rights.”
 
'SILENCE' REACTION TO CHP 
 
Stating that whether Erdoğan and Bahçeli are sincere or not can be revealed with practice, Yılmaz emphasized that Turkey needs a climate of peace. Underlining that the CHP has a great responsibility in this regard, Yılmaz added that the CHP has always been “timid” in defending fundamental rights and freedoms. Criticizing the CHP's silence on the ongoing isolation in İmralı, Yılmaz continued as follows: “It is very easy to discuss, defend, voice and prepare bills for the 'right to hope' after Devlet Bahçeli put it forward. The important thing is to talk about the values you really believe in and defend despite the government. What is important is that you oppose victim selectivity, that you say that the identity of the victim should not be taken into account, that you speak out before the government and its partner in power on the issue of isolation. The most important problem here is that the main opposition party has not made bold statements on this issue. The fact that human rights defenders, lawyers, physicians, journalists and academics are left alone on this issue makes them targets. Perhaps the main opposition party contributed to the fact that this issue remained unresolved for so long, and that a culture of human rights could not be established in Turkey, even if not directly, by remaining passive.
 
'TMK MUST BE ABOLISHED'
 
The Anti-Terror Law (TMK) needs to be abolished. There are still hundreds of thousands of violations caused by the Anti-Terror Law. It does not seem possible to democratize Turkey or solve the Kurdish issue without concrete and permanent work. The government needs to be sincere here. I think that civil society organizations should strengthen the hands of the political institution and society with their work here.” 
 
MA / Rukiye Adıgüzel
 

View More Articles

13:55 They want to destroy hope of democratic life says journalist Nazım Daştan
13:39 DBP starts aid campaign for Rojava
13:31 Qereqozaq Bridge bombed
12:57 Lawyers applies to meet with Abdullah Öcalan
12:55 UAV crashed in Serêkaniye
11:57 Clashes at Tishreen Dam
11:55 Statement by Minister Tunç on the İmralı application
11:08 Turkey wants to liquidate Kurdish gains says Journalist Dîlan Dîlok
09:33 Over 30 books in 30 years of imprisonment
09:32 Criminal complaint against violent police officers
09:32 World must take action to end this atrocity says Mihemed Şêxo
09:15 Ground and time for solution has come, let's not miss opportunity says Keskin Bayındır
09/12/2024
16:32 Trustee prevents enter of co-mayors to municipality in Êlih
16:15 Syrian Human Rights Organisation calls to UN
14:34 Latest situation in Manbij
13:57 Why is Manbij targeted?
13:20 November report from MKG: 38 journalists on trial
11:33 KCK: Democratic Nation model is the solution for Syria
11:32 KNK calls for national duty and responsibility
11:11 Muqtada al-Sadr calls for dialogue for Syria
10:55 12 civilians killed in Turkish drone strike
10:39 Turkey's intervention deepens Syrian crisis says Aldar Xelîl
08:39 Manbij Military Council: Second phase of defense begun
08:37 Xwebûn published: 'Defending Rojava is an obligation!
08/12/2024
09:48 If democratisation desired, isolation must be fought against says Eren Keskin
09:41 From ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra to HTS
09:35 New prisons will deepen the problem, not solve it says Lawyer Köçeroğlu
09:34 Need to find solutions to migration says Academician Lülüfer Körükmez
07/12/2024
16:54 QSD: We demonstrated extraordinary resistance
16:33 Mobilisation call from KONGRA-GEL
16:01 'No to war' forum from HDK: Call for united struggle
15:19 2 cities demand freedom for seriously ill prisoners
14:41 Women march against trustees
14:33 Fate of missing persons asks in four cities
14:12 Saturday Mothers asks fate of Hüseyin Taşkaya
13:48 A student arrests in Dêrsim
10:57 Historical and current breaking centres in Syria: Hama and Humus
10:34 Violations in Suluca Prison
09:54 Syria is being redesigned says Journalist Karadaş
09:33 Artists join mobilisation: Everyone must join revolutionary people's war
09:30 Violence against prisoner who refused examined in handcuffs
09:29 KNK Co-Chairs: Abdullah Öcalan's road map is solution to crisis in Middle East
06/12/2024
14:36 QSD: A new process has emerged, we are ready for a solution
13:15 Mehmet Turgay releases after 32 years
12:32 Latest situation in Manbij: They could not advance even a metre
12:31 November violence tally of JINNEWS
12:05 Prosecutor gives final opinion in Narin Güran case
11:39 Families applies to go to İmralı
11:32 They preparing for revolutionary people's war says Salih Muslim
11:25 War is not solution says Peace Mothers