The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Urfa MP Ömer Öcalan has applied to the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey for a meeting with Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held under severe isolation in İmralı F Type High Security Closed Prison for more than 25 years. Ömer Öcalan of the DEM Party, who applied to the General Secretariat of the Presidency by fax and mail, drew attention to the fact that Abdullah Öcalan has long been denied the right to meet with his lawyers and family.

Pointing to the decision of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee to take measures against the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan, the application recalled that an application was made to the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission (İHİK) upon the failure to take any steps in line with this decision.

“The parliamentary Human Rights Inquiry Committee (İHİK) claimed that there was no isolation in İmralı.  In a reply dated 23 February, it argued that İmralı prisoners were not allowed to meet with their lawyers and relatives on the grounds of disciplinary penalties, and that there was no ban on letters and faxes. It stated that there was no disciplinary penalty in 2023 regarding lawyer visits, but provided no explanation as to why family and lawyer visits could not be made.”

The application also drew attention to respect for family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).