İSTANBUL -  Non-governmental organizations stated in their latest report on the Imrali Prison that the CPT, which has repeated what has been known for years, deepened the isolation with this attitude.

 

The Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), affiliated with the Council of Europe, shared the report of its visit to the Imrali F Type High Security Prison on 6 August 2019. It was noted in the report that a "permanent system" where regular family and lawyer visits can be made to the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and 3 other names who are held at the island, and the imposed detention regime should be completely reviewed. Evaluating the report of the CPT, non-governmental organizations pointed out that there are important findings in the report, but that these findings have been ongoing on the island of İmralı for 21 years.

 

KARASU: NO SANCTIONS WERE IMPLEMENTED AGAINST TURKEY

 

Stating that PKK Leader Öcalan has been living under severe isolation for 21 years, the Co-chair of the Anatolian Aid and Solidarity Association with Families of Disappeared People (ANYAKAY-DER),  Sultan Karasu stated that the CPT's report, which drew attention to the severe isolation conditions, was full of inadequacies.

 

Mentioning the notification in the report saying there has been no changes in the conditions of İmralı, Karasu said no sanctions were implemented against Turkey for that.

 

'THE ATTITUDE OF THE CPT HELPS DEEPENING THE ISOLATION IN IMRALI' 

 

Reminding that the CPT visited Imrali only as a result of public pressure and the struggles against isolation in many parts of the world, Karasu said that the content of some visits in the past was either never disclosed or disclosed after a long time. Noting that the report on the last visit was announced 16 months later, Karasu underlined that this situation further aggravates the conditions of isolation.

 

Stating that the isolation against Öcalan is not only about Turkey but the international forces that delivered Öcalan to Turkey has a greater part in it, Karasu said CPT doesn't visit İmralı if they don't have to.

 

Saying that the Imrali isolation has spread throughout the country today, Karasu said, “Breaking the isolation imposed on Mr. Öcalan means that democracy and freedoms become permanent in the country. Isolation is not only on a person, but also on everyone living in Turkey.Therefore we believe that everyone living in Turkey must fight against isolation."