Fifty women in the Maxmur Refugee Camp, in the Federative Kurdistan Region, began a hunger strike to protest against the current isolation of imprisoned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan.

During a march before hunger strike, the women stated that the actions will last until the isolation is lifted by the authorities.

Indeed lawyers have been prevented from seeing Öcalan since July 27. Again this week application to visit their client has been turned out. It is not just the lawyers who have been denied the visits. Indeed Öcalan's family has not seen him for many weeks.

Concerns are rising about Öcalan's health as in his last visits the Kurdish leader was complaining about some physical problems. Öcalan has been virtually isolated from the rest of the world since July 27. Something which goes beyond any 'normal' handling of prisoners' rights.

It was therefore quite astonishing to listen to president Abdullah Gül the other day delivering a speech at the third Global Policy Forum held in the central Russian city of Yaroslavl.

Indeed it sounded so out of tune when thinking about the conditions in which Abdullah Öcalan and with him thousands of men, women and children in prison, is held. Or when thinking about the warplanes taking off from Diyarbakir every day to bomb villages and indeed another country, namely the Iraqi Kurdistan Federation. Or when thinking about the faces of the men, women, children beaten up by the police and the army, injured and killed because they are asking for peace.

It is worth it to mention some of the points the president underlined, just to see the duplicity, double standard and in the end the hypocrisy of the policy of the Turkish authorities towards the Kurds asking for their rights. It is also worth saying that this also shows the hypocrisy or dumbness of the West, unable or unwilling to rise its voice against Turkish manipulation of truth and use of violence.

So the president thinks that "the modern state is: “a democratic state” that is based on the principle of the rule of law.

- “a freedom state” that provides security and stability without sacrificing fundamental human rights and freedoms.

- “a social state” that achieves economic growth without neglecting fair distribution.

- “a virtuous state” which is cognizant of its responsibility to mankind even as it pursues its national interests.

- “a responsible state” that is aware of its accountability to future generations in all areas including the environment in the context of its economic development policies.

- “a regulatory state” which minimizes social costs while paving the way for greater individual entrepreneurship.

- a state that not only “holds to account”, but is also “held accountable”.

- “a compassionate and tolerant state” which embraces all its people and considers differences as a source of richness."

It is interesting just to look at the last two points to see the falsity, the blatant lies the Turkish authorities are stating with no shame at all.

When has the Turkish state ever been held accountable for its many crimes?

And when has he been compassionate and tolerant? considering differences as a source of richness?

There is another point (but the speech as a whole need to be read) to underline: the president said that "A new understanding which defines the sole purpose of the state as meeting the legitimate desires, demands and expectations of the people has emerged".

And he continued stating that: "This is the underlying concept of the modern state. This understanding focuses on the human being in his individual and social capacity as the main pillar and aims to broaden freedoms as it tries to balance security against freedoms."

So concluding that "In the same way, acting in a truly democratic system that respects equality, plurality and participation is also one of the main characteristics and requirements for a modern state."

Nobody - and this is also shameful - in that Western assembly listening to the Turkish president had nothing to counter.