Lawyers: Solution process is being isolated in the person of Öcalan
DİYARBAKIR (DİHA) - The applications of lawyers and families to meet with PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan have been declined since 27 July 2011.
Since the Turkish government and international powers collaborated to capture Öcalan in 1999, Turkey has aggressively pursued a policy of isolating the jailed leader in a high-security F-type prison on İmralı Island. With the government nearly freezing the peace process, the İmralı Delegation of opposition party and civil society leaders meeting with Öcalan as part of the peace process has now announced that they are being denied access to the island.
Private law being implemented
HDP’s İmrali delegation last visited PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan on 5 April since when he has not been allowed to receive visits. The Turkish government has aggravated the isolation on Öcalan in pre-election period. HDP’s İmrali delegation last visited Öcalan on 5 April since when he has not been allowed to receive visits.
One of the lawyers of Öcalan, Meral Atasoy, said, "Our client Dear Abdullah Öcalan is under aggravated conditions of isolation since 1999. But, AKP has aggravated this more and more day after day. According to international rules and law applications, talks of prisoners with lawyers cannot be recorded in any way. But, at Imrali Prison, everything is being recorded and watched. A private law is being implemented in Imrali in contrary to international law".
'Isolation may cause heavy results'
A prisoner has the right to meet and receive visits from both his/her family and lawyers, underlined Öcalan's lawyer Serhat Eren. "This regulation is available in the Turkish law. Therfore, the Ministry of Justice is committing a crime," added the lawyer.
Öcalan's lawyer Eren stated, "To withhold the peace and solution process initiated by Öcalan may cause heavy results and irreparable damages for Turkey. The history has some examples in this matter. Dear Öcalan has always spoken about the legal assurance of this process. The need for this assurance can be understood more now".
(nt)
