The DEM Party Imrali delegation has held two separate meetings with Abdullah Öcalan. However, despite these meetings, the isolation policies imposed on him in Imrali for the past 25 years continue without interruption. 

Speaking to ANF about the absolute isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan, DEM Party Diyarbakır MP Ceylan Akça Cupolo said: "First and foremost, we are pleased that meetings have resumed. The DEM Party has repeatedly emphasized that the Kurdish question must be resolved on a political basis. When we talk about a political solution, we refer to the key actors involved, and we assert that the most central actor is Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. Due to his political and social role, he is not someone who can be excluded from this process."

Akça Cupolo said that this is why "the ongoing isolation imposed on him and the conditions under which he is held are harmful to any sustainable peace process. We insist that these conditions end. Even if we set aside the need for Turkey to resolve the Kurdish question, recognize the fundamental rights of the Kurdish people, and legally enshrine these rights, Turkey is still obligated to uphold its own laws. By legal standards alone, Mr. Öcalan should have already regained his freedom.  However, Mr. Öcalan's freedom is not only a legal necessity; it is also essential for ensuring that this process reaches a peaceful and just conclusion. For any negotiation process to progress in a meaningful and healthy manner, the isolation must end, and the Imrali Prison must be immediately closed."

Mr. Öcalan is the central figure

Cupolo continued: "Isolation has political, social, and legal dimensions. If you impose isolation on someone despite existing laws, you cannot prevent others from being subjected to the same treatment.

By demonizing individuals and social figures, creating scapegoats within society, and then implementing such anti-democratic practices, the government ensures that opposition and democratic circles remain silent. This silence allows these practices to continue unchecked.  What do I mean by this? There have been numerous illegal practices frequently used against Mr. Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdish people. Because these injustices were initially met with silence, similar measures have now been expanded and weaponized against others, such as those accused of participating in the Gezi protests.

Take Osman Kavala as an example. Today, he is being held in solitary confinement under the same penal code as Mr. Abdullah Öcalan and has been sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, with only the right to see his family.  However, he retains a right that Mr. Öcalan is denied. But this government, if given enough opportunity, could manipulate the legal system further and subject Osman Kavala to exactly the same conditions as Mr. Öcalan."

Akça Cupolo said that “the real violator of the law is clear. To end the state-sponsored wave of violence and fear imposed on society, we must first recognize that the so-called "scapegoats" created by the government are not truly enemies or threats. Mr. Abdullah Öcalan is a political figure and a key actor in resolving the Kurdish issue. His role cannot be ignored, and any meaningful solution must be with him."

If peace is to be achieved, isolation must end 

Akça Cupolo continued: "For the past 15 years, all segments of Turkish society have witnessed the government's oppressive policies more actively. However, we know very well that this has been a systematic state policy for over a century. The reason these policies have become so extreme is the opposition's silence. Because the opposition failed to speak out against the isolation imposed on Mr. Öcalan, a new wave of state repression has extended across all sectors of society.  When Kurdish political leaders and figures were targeted, the opposition remained silent and now, they raise their voices only when this same fear and repression are directed at them. But it was their own silence and hesitation that allowed this climate of division to flourish in the first place.  It is not too late. The opposition must unite and clearly position itself on the side of a democratic and collective resistance. If there is a genuine will for peace, the isolation imposed on Mr. Öcalan must end immediately."