Members of the International Delegation of Lawyers Against Isolation are in Amed (Diyarbakır) for talks about the absolute isolation imposed on Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is held in İmralı F Type High Security Closed Prison and has not been heard from for 35 months.

Giovanni Tognoni, Lena Charlotta Lahnander, Yasmin Sazvar, Kjell Byrdfjeld, Kisten Govender and the accompanying delegation visited the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) and Rosa Women's Association and then visited the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Bağlar District organisation and the mothers taking part in the Justice Vigil in support of the hunger strikes launched on 27 November to end the ongoing isolation of Adbullah Öcalan.

The delegation was welcomed by Kerem Canpolat and Emine Kaya, co-chairs of the MED Federation of Legal and Solidarity Associations of the Families of Prisoners and Detainees (MED TUHAD-FED), and the mothers who continue the vigil wearing aprons reading "Isolation is a crime against humanity" and chanting "Bijî berxwedana zindanan" (Long live the prison resistance).

One of the mothers, Meryem Soylu, talked about what was done to her daughter's mortal remains while other mothers talked about the unjust and unlawful practices their children were subjected to while in prison. Stating that they are on Justice Vigil for the lifting of the isolation on Abdullah Öcalan, the mothers said, "If the isolation on Abdullah Öcalan is not lifted, the oppression on the Kurdish people will not end", emphasizing that they will continue the vigil until the isolation ends.

Upon the delegation's questions, the mothers also spoke about the lawsuits filed against them for years and practices such as house raids. Finally, the mothers demanded that the European states, which detained Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan in a conspiracy and handed him over to Turkey, should take Abdullah Öcalan from the Turkish state and give him back to the Kurdish people.

The families joining the vigil also pointed out the injustices regarding the exile of prisoners to provinces far from their homes, sick prisoners and denial of releases.

The delegation then met with DBP (Democratic Regions Party) Co-Chair Keskin Bayındır, DBP Women's Assembly Spokesperson Berivan Bahçeci, DBP MYK (Central Executive Board) member Narin Gezgör and Gulan Çağın Kaleli, and Mehmet Öner at the DBP Headquarters Information Office.

Speaking here, DBP Co-Chair Keskin Bayındır greeted the participants and emphasized the path, mission and importance of DBP. Noting that trustees have been appointed to the will of the people since 2016, Bayındır said that the administration in Kurdistan is more fascist than in the west, citing the approach of the state and the government to the Kurdish question as the source of this issue.

Bayındır stated that the state insists on war and keeps Abdullah Öcalan in solitary confinement. “He has been in isolation for 3 years. The center of all problems is İmralı,” he added.

Underlining that Turkey is encouraged by the international silence, Bayındır said: "At this point, we are facing a social, political and economic crisis in Turkey. We are facing a government that wants to spend the entire economy on war. Human rights, freedom of thought and expression are being crushed under this war policy. When we look at the main source of these problems, the İmralı isolation system serves as a laboratory for this. Mr. Abdullah Öcalan plays a historical role in solving these problems. We regard him as the interlocutor for a solution to these problems. While the current methods propose war and conflict, Mr. Öcalan proposes peace and solution. Because Kurds see this reality, they are standing up for the freedom of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan both in Europe, Kurdistan and in many parts of the world. It becomes clear that no problem in Turkey can be solved as long as this reality is ignored."

Bayındır stated that, as the DBP, they believe that the solution will be achieved with the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and said, "Everyone, especially intellectuals, writers and journalists, are being silenced. But the resistance continues, and we believe we will succeed."

Speaking afterward, members of the delegation said that politics is under pressure in Turkey, vowing that they would stand in solidarity for the solution of the Kurdish question.