ISTANBUL - Stating that the government aims to perpetuate the state of hopelessness in the society with the isolation of Imralı, HDK Co-Spokesperson Esengül Demir said: "The social pressure should be enlarged and the meeting ground should be created."

 

Abdullah Öcalan, who is being held under heavy isolation conditions in İmralı Type F High Security Prison, has not been heard from since the interrupted phone call he made with his brother Mehmet Öcalan on March 25, 2021. The views of the family and lawyers against the absolute isolation against Abdullah Öcalan are prevented by systematic punishments under the name of “discipline”.

 

Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-Spokesperson Esengül Demir, who made evaluations about the isolation system in Imrali, said that the state is consciously implementing the isolation and aims to perpetuate the state of hopelessness in the society.

 

THE SEVERE ISOLATION CONDITIONS

 

Stating that the İmralı Prison, where Abdullah Öcalan is being held, was specially designed and that no legal procedure was implemented there, Demir said: It was an isolation system in itself. The Imrali isolation in its current form is not unique in the world. Those who have done research on this say that there are no more severe isolation conditions than this, and that the most severe conditions are the Imrali isolation system."

 

SOCIAL IMPACTS OF THE PARADIGM

 

Stating that there are many reasons why the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan has been turned into a state of non-communication for the last 29 months, Demir said: "The primary reason is to reduce the social impact of the paradigm developed by Abdullah Öcalan. Mr. Öcalan's ties to society are being severed and his thoughts are prevented from being shared with the public with the isolation imposed. Beyond the meeting of these thoughts with the society, there is also an understanding that puts the society under psychological pressure. This approach of the state is an approach that foresees the viewpoint of the century-old republic towards the Kurds, ignoring the Kurds, ignoring their demands, and that these policies and understanding will continue as we move into the new century.”

 

THE PURPOSE OF THE STATE IN ISOLATION

 

Pointing out that the state is consciously implementing the isolation it carries out in İmralı and that it aims to perpetuate the state of hopelessness in the society with this isolation, Demir said: “We can say that the state aims to fall back on the line of struggle. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly get out of this state of despair and to carry out the struggle in a much broader framework. Apart from the democratic public opinion we mentioned in Turkey, it is necessary to explain the isolation policies to a wider public and social segment."

 

EFFECTS OF ISOLATION ON PEOPLE

 

Stating that if the isolation is not removed, it will evolve into a process that will determine the future of the peoples of Turkey, the workers and all social strata living in this geography, Demir said: “In this sense, the isolation carried out should be viewed in a broader framework. Although some international circles, especially the Kurdish public opinion, try to raise a social awareness about the isolation, we can see that this is not enough. As such, there is no serious social pressure on the Republic of Türkiye. This social pressure needs to be increased. Turkey needs to quickly create a platform that complies with international conventions and within the framework of human rights, where Mr. Öcalan can meet with his lawyers and family."

 

MA / İbrahim Irmak