Veysi Aktaş was released from İmralı F-Type High Security Closed Prison on 28 July after his release was postponed for 1 year and 3 months despite having completed 30 years of imprisonment. Aktaş was targeted by some media outlets with manipulative news reports as soon as he was released.

 

In a statement about the misleading reports spread by the Turkish media, the Asrın Law Office, which represents Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners in İmralı, said: "The content of these news reports aims to establish a connection between our client Aktaş and an individual who is alleged to be the basis for investigations into CHP municipalities. These media outlets, which represent the current state of tabloid journalism, have deliberately created ‘news’ in an attempt to mold public perception. In pursuit of this objective, they have not hesitated to disregard press ethics and trample upon all human and political values. By highlighting familial ties spanning generations, they have distorted information and manipulated public opinion in an attempt to create a divide between the CHP and the public during the peace process.

 

Regardless of all these issues, we must share some information with the public regarding Mr. Veysi Aktaş’s trial and execution of sentence. Our client was arrested in 1994 and sentenced by the State Security Court, which was found by the European Court of Human Rights to be biased and unable to conduct a fair trial, resulting in the revocation of his rights. The legal sentence was 30 years, and our client, who was supposed to be released on April 28, 2024, was deprived of his right to freedom and released after 31 years and 3 months. He spent the last ten years of his imprisonment in absolute isolation at Imrali Prison.

 

We are well aware of the origin and purpose of these attempts to mold public opinion. For this reason, we refrain from making sweeping political assessments or adopting the language of dirty, war-mongering circles. However, it is important to understand that these biased and false reports are aimed at undermining the 'peace and democratic society' process initiated under the leadership of Mr. Öcalan. The process of peace and democratic society is the process of building a republic crowned with democracy based on Kurdish-Turkish brotherhood, beliefs, and free citizenship that does not exclude other peoples and different identities. We can understand to a certain extent why those who feed on conflict for their own material gains and want to perpetuate bloodshed and strife develop rhetoric opposed to this process. However, we condemn and reject the poisonous language used to taint the release of a political Kurd who spent 32 years of his life in prison and his reunion with his family.

 

For this reason, it is now better understood that the antidote to this dirty language is to raise awareness of democracy and develop a culture of coexistence. Based on this reality, we invite all political parties that claim a stake in the country's future, as well as everyone who cares about the future of society, women, youth, workers, nature, and the country as a whole, to understand and support the 'peace and democratic society process' without giving credence to the manipulations of such publications, and even expose them.”