ANKARA - International lawyer Paula Martin Ponz described the isolation silence of the CPT and the AK as "complicity" with Turkey and said, "Millions of people are complicit in the torture of Mr. Öcalan and Kurdish people. The release of Abdullah Öcalan and the release of political prisoners is an unavoidable step for the solution of the Kurdish problem.”

 

 There is no news from PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş, who have been held under aggravated isolation conditions in İmralı F Type High Security Prison and have not been heard from for more than 27 months. While countless family and lawyer applications are made, international calls and applications are made. The applications and calls for the end of the absolute isolation on Abdullah Öcalan and his physical freedom are ignored by the Ministry of Justice.

 

While the isolation is maintained by Turkey, discussions, conferences and panels continue to be discussed in order to break this isolation in the international arena, to solve the politicized judiciary and the Kurdish problem. Last week, in the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg, France, European Lawyers Association for Democracy and Human Rights (ELDH), International Law and Democracy Association (MAF-DAD) and EP's Left Party (Die Linke) A conference entitled “Rights and Freedoms in Turkey: Law, Prisons and the Kurdish Question” was held in cooperation with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D).

 

 At the conference, it was discussed that Turkey did not implement the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Kurdish question and in this context, the absolute isolation on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan has deepened and spread to the whole society. Paula Martin Ponz, who attended the conference and was also in the isolation delegation, evaluated the deepening absolute isolation, the approach of international institutions and the steps that Turkey should take for a solution.

 

'Prisons are a clear reflection of the unresolved Kurdish problem'

 

 Stating that the judicial system in Turkey is used entirely in line with the interests of the AKP government, Paula stated that the social fabric has been completely destroyed. Paul said, “The lack of autonomy and the ill treatment of prisoners has become the main motto of the Turkish judicial system. It’s obvious that the justice system has totally lost its independent from the party in the government, judizalization what means that the justice system its been used in behalf of the ruling party interests. The huge increase of the prison population is a clear sign of the ill-functionament of the justice system and shows a destroyed social fabric. Turkey also has one of the biggest levels of journalists, lawyers and politics in prison due to their beliefs. This is also a clear reflection of the unsolved issue at the core of the political struggle in the territory, so is to say the Kurdish question. Just to highlight one of the last conflicts between Turkey and the European Council that can address the actual state of affairs: the on-going imprisonment of Osman Kavala and Selahattin Demirtas who remain in prison in Turkey, in spite of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in their favour, and the Committee of Ministers calling for their immediate release. Turkey not only is developing a coercive system in its own territory but also ignores the agreements on human rights.”

 

International institutions become complicit for dark aims

 

 Stating that although Europe and its institutions have made decisions regarding the deepening absolute isolation regarding PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, they have not put it into practice in practice, Paula stated that he is an accomplice in the torture and isolation against millions of people. Pointing to the responsibility of the Council of Europe (EC), Paula said,"The European Council, but not only this organism -as this is also responsibility of all the treaties and organizations that have signed the Human Rights Agreements as NATO- must enforce its own resolutions and follow the democratic paths settled by themselves. The European Parliament and the CPT both have at its core the defence of human rights and both had issued resolutions condemning Turkey for its lack of transparency and it’s veneration of Human and political rights. Nevertheless no one of said organism is enforcing their own agreements. This shows how the relation between Turkey and the said organisms is subjected not to the binding agreements but to deeper and darker aims and that by hindering information or not enforcing its own resolutions the European Parliament and the CPT are actively endangering the lives and the rights of millions of persons and being accomplice of the torture exerted over Mr. Ocalan and its people. By obliterating this reality the European Council becomes accomplice of the criminal activity desenvoluped by Turkey.”

 

'The common solution is undoubtedly the release of Mr. Ocalan'

 

 Emphasizing that the Imrali isolation is a punishment given to all Kurdish people, Paula stated that the Turkish judicial system is operated to destroy the struggle of peoples who are fighting for freedom. Paula said: “It can be clearly seen that the penal system it’s been enforced to punish the political dissidence and to try to obligate the whole struggle not only of the Kurdish people but of all the people that struggle for freedom. The territory needs to find a common path in which everyone can be part of the future solution and to achieve this needs, without doubt, to address the Kurdish issue starting for the release of Ocalan as a key point to resolve this problem. The punishment inflicted on Ocalan’s situation is a punishment inflicted in all the Kurdish people and we can clearly see how the isolation  system imposed over the prisoners of Imrali prison has been extended not only to the rest of the prisons but to all of society.

 

Expanding dictatorship system

 

It’s lack of transparency, disdain for human rights and specifically for political, women and LGBT people rights is outrageous. The huge increase in prison population and the ill-treatment of all prisoners but specifically political prisoners goes against all the democratic principles. Also the extension of the f-type prisons, the increase of the number of prison facilities and the daily applications over the society of coactive politics, as keeping the exceptional measures declared under the failed coup of state, shows how the judizalization of politics has extended a dictatorial system in the territory.”

 

Öcalan's release is an inevitable step

 

Stating that international institutions should listen to the peoples of Turkey's struggle for peace, Paula stated that leaving Abdullah Öcalan is an inevitable step for this and said:“All of them should be aware of its responsibility on the on-going state of affairs in Turkey. By not enforcing its own resolutions and by hindering information, as can be not publishing the reports (as in the case of CPT) are allowing, and even encouraging, the Turkish genocides practices. So we make a call to all these institutions to take a stand and start putting in practice politics that stops this behave of Turkish government and listen to society and its struggle for peace. To do this the liberation of Abdullah Ocallan is a step that can’t be avoided, as neither can be avoided the liberation of the political prisoners. In this regard every democratic institution should feel compelled to help find a solution for the actual situation.”