Political prisoners from PKK and PAJK trials in Turkey have been on hunger strike again for over two weeks. The isolation of the Kurdish thought leader Abdullah Öcalan, which has been going on for almost 22 years, has been broken several times by hunger strikes. The negotiations with the Turkish state on a solution to the Kurdish question were also relaxed. At the moment there is total isolation again. Civil society organizations in Turkey have initiated few significant initiatives to end isolation in the past two decades.
One of the organizations that has repeatedly expressed itself on the subject and participated in relevant campaigns is the Freedom Lawyers Association (ÖHD). Lawyer Mehmet Nuri Deniz is a board member of the association and spoke to ANF in Amed about the role of civil society organizations.
Mehmet Nuri Deniz refers to the prison system in the Imrali island prison, which is subject to a special regime. Abdullah Öcalan is not only isolated from the public and personal contacts on an island, but also largely isolated from his three fellow prisoners, the lawyer said:
“Civil society also has tasks that it must fulfill on this issue. It is well known that Mr. Öcalan, like all other prisoners, has rights that are prescribed by law. This includes, for example, the right to visit and telephone contact with his lawyers and relatives. Furthermore, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that isolation is torture. The last report by the Council of Europe’s Anti-Torture Committee also confirms the isolation on Imrali. However, these legal statements and the laws are not implemented. At the moment there is no agency at national or international level that would take care of this. Basically there is no legal system at all. There is in fact no judiciary that does not have any sanctions. Without a legal system there can be no justice and freedom. So what civil society has to do is fight for justice and freedom. “
Civil society engagement means first and foremost to create a public, attorney Deniz continues: “At the same time, it is about influencing state decisions by supporting societal demands and initiating a dialogue for an agreement. Unfortunately, the civil society organizations have shortcomings on this issue. The fact that civil society remains so passive is due, among other things, to the existing atmosphere of fear and repression, but also to the ideological influence of the state. On the subject of isolation, coordination between organizations from the legal and health sectors must be established. A delegation from these organizations should then go to Imrali to examine the health and conditions of detention on the spot. One focus of the public relations work must be placed on the fact that the isolation results from the Kurdish question and that there is a connection with the fundamental problems in Turkey. “
Sufficient information and specific data are available for public relations work and initiatives at home and abroad, emphasizes Deniz: “These include the violations of law established by the ECHR and the CPT and Mr Öcalan’s ban on contact with his lawyers and relatives. In my opinion, it is not due to a lack of information if there are too few initiatives. Mr Öcalan’s team of defense lawyers exhausted all legal remedies, but the application of the law can only be enforced in a joint struggle with society. We think that is the only way to tackle the problem. Legal organizations in particular must find a holistic approach to dealing with the problem. Knowing that the fundamental problems in Turkey result from isolation and the Kurdish question, work must also be carried out on a new constitution. Legal organizations have to put this on their agenda. Personally, however, I do not assume that such work can be successful without Öcalan’s release. “
Finally, lawyer Mehmet Nuri Deniz appealed to organized civil society regarding the hunger strike in prisons: “The hunger strike by political prisoners demanding that their isolation be lifted has been going on for over 15 days. The conditions in the prisons are already very difficult and have become even more difficult with the pandemic. Civil society organizations must also seek dialogue on this issue. The prisoners must not be left alone in their struggle. “
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