Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) Chair Gabi Zimmer spoke to ANF about the isolation on Abdullah Ocalan, Germany’s ban on Ocalan posters and Kurdish symbols and practices of Erdogan regime in Turkey.

Zimmer pointed out the “climate of fear” in Turkey and emphasized that anyone who is not supporting Erdogan and AKP could be accused “supporting terrorism”.

Gabi said they were baffled after they learned about the number of lawsuits against Peoples’ Democratic Party Co-chairs Figen Yuksekdag and Selahattin Demirtas. Zimmer criticized Turkey’s refusal to bring Demirtas and Yuksekdag to the courthouse for “security concerns” and said: “No one can say to a person, who stands trial for an alleged offence, that they cannot defend themselves in front of a court because their security cannot be guaranteed. Isn’t Turkey a country with security forces? Do these security forces exist to only put people behind bars or to secure people in the courtroom in accordance with state of law? This is an issue that Turkey should deal with.”

Citing the negotiations between the PKK and Turkish state, Zimmer said: “Ocalan was an important factor. We didn’t forget that. Ocalan could have played his role as an intermediary. We are concerned about the lack of information about his well-being for about two years”.

Zimmer remarked that an official delegation should visit Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan in Imrali and called for resumption of negotiations between Turkey and the PKK.

Referring to the violations of prisoners’ rights that have reached alarming levels in Turkey, Zimmer said; “Prisoners also have rights. They have human rights and these should be defended. This is a rule in the state of law” she underlined.

GUE/NGL Chair recalled the right to information, proper healthcare and security of the prisoners and said that institutions such as European Union, European Court of Human Rights are responsible for this along with Turkish authorities.

Zimmer talked about the sit-in protests in front of the European Council’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Ill Treatment (CPT) and criticized the approach of Europe to the Kurds. She said that it is wrong to keep the PKK on terrorist organizations list and insisted that Europe should accept the struggle of Kurdish people for their rights in Turkey.

The German MEP also talked about Germany’s ban on Ocalan’s posters and Kurdish symbols and said it has nothing to do with PKK’s presence on the terrorist organizations list. Zimmer thinks that the ban is a gesture to Turkish state.