Baluken: European officials attach importance to Öcalan’s message

HDP’s Baluken said the issue of Öcalan’s isolation was also on the agenda in their meetings with the EP and the CoE. Bauken said the European officials were curious on how the government will respond to Öcalan's most recent message.

HDP Group Deputy Chairperson and İmralı Committee Member İdris Baluken held a series of meetings in the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Parliament (EP).

Baluken spoke to ANF and said that the isolation of the Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan was discussed in the meetings.

Baluken said they relayed to the Council of Europe and European Parliament officials that the AKP was resorting to anti-democratic practices and needed to be exposed and pressured. Baluken also requested the officials send committees to Turkey.

Baluken pointed out that a return to the Solution Process could provide a positive push, and said that the CE and EP officials thought the latest family meeting with Öcalan was important. Baluken said the European officials were curious what the government’s answer to Öcalan’s “Our projects for a solution are ready” approach was, and said: “And we told them on the day of that message, trustees were appointed to our municipalities and there were signals for a new wave of attacks on MPs.”

“FAMILY VISIT ISN’T ENOUGH”

Baluken emphasized that family visits weren’t sufficient, and said: “In our meetings, we requested the isolation be lifted and conditions for negotiations be prepared. They are trying to create the image that everything is alright again with this family visit. That would be a very faulty approach. The AKP is also trying to trick the international community. We told them that the family visit was important in that we learned of Mr. Öcalan’s safety and his conditions inside, but the regular and legal family visits were still not allowed, the lawyers and political committees still couldn’t go to İmralı and the isolation continued.”

“THEY WANT TO PLAY THE ROLE OF THE PRESSURE AUTHORITY”

İdris Baluken also said the Europeans were monitoring the oppressive practices in Turkey and continued:

“They know of the oppressive, anti-democratic practices in Turkey. They have told us that they are monitoring the closing of Özgür Gündem and the injustices imposed upon Kurdish press and the free press closely and they found these practices unacceptable for freedom of press and the country’s democracy. They emphasize that the pressure on journalists and writers, including Aslı Erdoğan, Necmiye Alpay, Ahmet Altan, Mehmet Altan but also many more, shows where the country’s democracy has come to. We have seen that they are willing to play the role of the criticizer, the pressure authority.

Turkey is no longer a state of law. It doesn’t recognize its own constitution or laws. It doesn’t recognize international law, starting with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). It is in an introverted, dictatorial situation. If this continues, the discussion will be whether it is a state at all, not whether it is a state of law! I can say this easily as an observation. There must be a return to civilian politics from military politics, as soon as possible."