​​​​​​​When and why did isolation intensify against leader Abdullah Ocalan?

Leader Abdullah Ocalan, arrested on 15 February 1999 through an international conspiracy involving regional and capitalist states, who was extradited to Turkey, where he was detained on the isolated island of Imrali, which lacks the slightest conditions of arrest and detention for the most horrendous pressures.

On August 7^th, the Office of al-Asr for the Defence of Leader Ocalan issued a statement to public opinion. Through it, his client has not been able to benefit from his specific rights in domestic and international law for three years. It stated that all requests for a meeting made after the lawyers' meetings with the leader on July 27^th, 2011 and May 2^nd, 2019 had been unlawfully rejected.

Leader Abdullah Ocalan's lawyer Newroz Ûysal, noting in ANHA agency's statement that there are several reasons to impose isolation on leader Abdullah Ocalan, said: "There are several reasons to impose isolation on Mr. Abdullah Ocalan, but the main reason is the role played by Mr. Ocalan at this stage, from the beginning of the revolution until now, Mr. Ocalan calls for a peaceful and democratic resolution of the outstanding crises, which affects the rest of Kurdistan and the Kurdish issue in the heart of the Middle East."

Newroz Ûysal, stated that the resolution of the Kurdish issue means the resolution of outstanding issues in the Middle East, and said: "The Middle East suffers from several crises, as a result of the one-polar (i.e. nation-State) policy imposed by the dominant States of the Middle East hundreds of years ago. In the face of this policy, the democratic system of the nation has emerged. Therefore, Turkey, the dominant State and the nationalist systems that were established its themselves on the denial of peoples and the creation of crises see the democratic system as a danger to their authority."

Newroz Ûysal explained that national systems and dominant States are fighting and standing up to any democratic project, saying: "These systems maintain their survival by denying and deprivation the rights of peoples, undermining their free will and silencing their voices, so do not take a step backwards, and strive to eliminate any democratic project whatever its impact, so the isolation of Mr. Abdullah Ocalan has been increased to silence his voice, and the peoples of the region have been removed from Mr. Ocalan's directions regarding the outstanding crises, thereby marginalizing them."

Addressing the pretexts and arguments of the Turkish authorities regarding the aggravated isolation of leader Abdullah Ocalan, Newroz Ûysal explained them in 3 phases since the Commander's arrest some 24 years ago: "Phase I, which extends from 1999 to 2016, i.e. after a coup d 'état in Turkey, in 17 years Turkey has invoked bad weather, the inability of ships to reach Imrali Prison, the master of the ship is sick or on leave, etc.

The second phase began after the 2016 coup d 'état and the declaration of a state of emergency in Turkey On 20^th July of the same year, the Bursa court responsible for Imrali Prison decided to suspend visits to family and lawyers and to prevent Mr. Ocalan and the other 3 prisoners from communicating with abroad, the entry of newspapers and books into Imrali was prohibited, and continued until 20 September 2018, after the end of the state of emergency. "

Newroz Ûysal referred to the third phase, which began after the end of the state of emergency in Turkey in September 2018, and to our current time, which is the most dangerous, and said: "With regard to family visits, they argue that there are disciplinary sanctions, which are imposed on Mr. Ocalan and his colleagues every 3 months once, Lawyers cannot invoke disciplinary sanctions, but the Turkish authorities prohibit meeting with their clients every 6 months once. Nothing of this nature exists in Turkish laws, and we always say that the Imrali detention centre is private and is against human rights. By imposing isolations, Turkey is undermining all its laws. "

She confirmed that there has been a severe isolation of leader Abdullah Ocalan since April 2015 and into our current time, that is, after the cessation of the peace process: "We do not obtain any information from Mr. Ocalan. Turkish laws provide for the right of lawyers and the family to meet with detainees, but these rights are annihilated when they relate to Mr. Ocalan, under arguments and pretexts such as the existence of a state of emergency or so."

She explained: "Since the arrest of leader Ocalan, to date, meetings have not been conducted by way and by law as is in force in Turkey, most meetings have taken place after the community has carried out several anti-isolation activities such as hunger strikes, during the hearing of a fire in Imrali, or during information about the deterioration of the leader's health."

Newroz Ûysal stated that the Turkish state does not allow them to hold meetings with their clients in Imrali by legal means and meetings during an emergency order that are very short. "During the meeting or contact with Mr. Ocalan by telephone, these meetings are short, the Turkish state has cut off all means of communication with Mr. Ocalan, only during an emergency situation."

She addressed the latest event between leader Abdullah Ocalan and his lawyer, and said: "The last meeting between Mr. Ocalan and his lawyer took place in 2019, 8 years after the meetings were restricted. Mr. Ocalan met with his lawyer five times, and Mr. Ocalan sent letters of public opinion with 7 items. At the most recent meeting on August 7^th, 2019, the Turkish State was preparing to launch an attack against Rojava, and Mr. Ocalan said: "I have the power to solve the outstanding crisis and stop the sound of the weapon within one week, and make great strides." However, world public opinion and the international community have not responded to Mr. Ocalan's statement. Since then, we have not been able to meet with our client, and all avenues for Mr. Ocalan to communicate with the outside had been severed. "

She explained that the Turkish state is hostile to Kurdish aspirations in all Kurdistan, in Southern Kurdistan, Rojava and Bakur, thus conducting major political, diplomatic and military attacks and campaigns against Kurds in Southern Kurdistan in order to end any Kurdish presence there as well as against Rojava and seek to obliterate the Kurdish identity in Bakur. She explained: "The first step to torpedo the Kurdish issue is to silence Mr. Ocalan's voice. Therefore, preventing contact with him through face-to-face meetings, correspondence or communication, let alone as an immoral and unlawful act, hampers Kurdish policy and hinders the delivery of Mr. Ocalan's orientations to the Kurdish people and the people of the Middle East.”

She noted that Turkey's policy is centred on that "In the event that the Kurdish people reach some of their rights, that right must be free from the thoughts and philosophy of Mr. Ocalan. In other words, Mr. Ocalan has no influence on that right, Because Mr. Ocalan seeks to resolve the Kurdish issue in democratic ways and ways and everyone who has read Mr. Ocalan's thoughts and philosophy is aware of what Mr. Ocalan would like, and he is aware that any solution without democratic means cannot be sustainable.”

Newroz Ûysal emphasized that all libertarian movements and peoples seeking to build a democratic society were aware that Mr. Ocalan's ideas would make a significant difference, and said: "For 18 months we have not been able to communicate with Mr. Ocalan, which is evidence of the continuation of the war that has escalated since the intensification of isolation, and this war has a significant impact on humanity."

T/Satt.

ANHA