Speaking to ANF about Turkish Minister of Justice recent claims that PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) leader Abdullah Öcalan doesn’t meet his family at his own request, Asrýn Law Office member lawyer Rezan Sarýca denied the minister’s statements and remarked that the Kurdish leader has been denied any visit since his last meeting with his lawyers on 27 June 2011 and the one with his family on 10 October 2011.

On a recent TV program on NTV, Minister of Justice Sadullah Ergin claimed that Kurdish leader Öcalan meets his family from time to time.  

Lawyer Sarýca said the minister’s statements are at best contradictory and asked; “How can his family reach the prison if the boat supposed to take them is constantly out of order?” The lawyer underlined that it is often on this basis (the boat not working) that visit are denied.

Sarýca noted that for the last 14 months no news has been received from the other prisoners in Ýmralý and criticized the Committee for the Prevention of Torture for not visiting the Ýmralý prison during the inspection it made in Turkish prisons in recent months.

The lawyer noted that the legal process at the European Court of Human Right still continues regarding the isolation of Öcalan.

Sarýca said that lawyers are preparing to take Öcalan’s case to the Constitutional Court on the basis of the ECHR and international conventions.