Hundreds of participants of the sit-in in front of the CPT and the Council of Europe (CoE) with the demand to have Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan visited urgently marched to the CPT and held another sit-in. Simultaneously with the demonstration by the CPT, a committee including European MPs met with officials including Turkey Department Chief Michael Neurauter from the CPT Secretariat.

The committee made up of European Parliament (EP) Socialist Group member British MP Julie Ward, former EP Left Group Chair Francis Wurtz and HDP Council of Europe Representative Faik Yağızay forwarded the demands regarding Öcalan’s situation.

REMINDER THAT THE ONLY INSTITUTION AUTHORIZED FOR A VISIT IS THE CPT

In the meeting, Ward and Wurtz said they were in the committee formed to visit Imrali in February and were not allowed by the Turkish officials to visit Imrali when they arrived in Turkey. The MPs said the situation in Turkey has gotten worse since then, and pointed out that Öcalan was last able to see his family in September 2016.

The committee members also mentioned the social media stories about Öcalan’s safety and health ad stressed that they do not know what is happening in Imrali, and even if Öcalan is in Imrali or not. Committee members pointed to the trepidation this caused among the people.

Ward and Wurtz stated that committees, lawyers or his family members are not allowed to visit Öcalan and repeated that the only institution authorized for this is the CPT. MPs also submitted a letter they prepared to the CPT officials.

CPT: “WE ARE IN ACTIVE CONTACT WITH TURKISH AUTHORITIES”

CPT officials said they received the demands regarding Öcalan with the meetings in the last few days and stressed that they are monitoring the situation. Turkey Department Chief Michael Neurauter argued that the founding document of the CPT prevents them from announcing the information they already have at hand, and that they find it unacceptable that Öcalan is not allowed to meet with his family and lawyers.

Neurauter said they are “in active contact with Turkis authorities” for Öcalan’s situation and repeated that they cannot publish any information they reach without Turkey’s consent.

He added that the CPT’s efforts are not limited to visiting prisoners and that they are trying to monitor the issue.

KARTAL: “DEMONSTRATIONS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL ÖCALAN IS MET WITH

Konra-Gel Co-chair Remzi Kartal spoke to the public after the meeting and criticized the CPT’s lack of satisfactory responses.

Kartal stressed that the demands of the people are clear, and that the demonstrations will continue until a committee meets with Öcalan and gives the public concrete proof.