Kudret Temel, co-chair of the Association of Solidarity Prisoners’ Families (TUHAY-DER) Van branch condemned the isolation imposed on Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan.
Temel said that preventing Öcalan from seeing his lawyers means obstructing peace talks in Turkey. Temel added that relatives and lawyers should be allowed to meet with Öcalan as soon as possible, and added: “The isolation imposed on Öcalan should be removed immediately, and the violations of rights in prisons should come to an end. We are extending our hands to peace, but unfortunately we are met with a rejection of peace.”
‘Rights violation in prison’
Temel said: “The biggest obstacle to peace is actually the isolation imposed on Öcalan. For years, many lives were burned and continues to be burned. There have been many hunger strike for the abolition of solitary confinement in the past. The most recent hunger strike has been successful and the lawyers and family had the opportunity to meet Öcalan. It was thanks to the call made by Öcalan that the hunger strike ended, but isolation still continues. The isolation imposed is against human rights. We do not want the hunger strikes to start again.”
Stating that the rights violations in prisons have increased, Temel ended her remarks saying: “Ill prisoners should be released. Telephone call bans, right violations such as being placed in single cells and torture in prison should end.”
