Van inhabitants spoke to ANF concerning the aggravated isolation on Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and expressed their harshest condemnation. They stated that Öcalan is the only one who can bring clearance into the chaos of today.

Citizen Leyla Doğan said, "18 years have passed that the leader of the Kurdish People is held captive in horrendous isolation and we, the Kurdish people, have no information on him. The state has aggravated the isolation even more for a long time and doesn't let the lawyers and family of Leader Öcalan to get to him to the Imrali prison and obtain any information. We will never let go of our leader, we want him back. The lawyers and family members of Öcalan have to be able to go to Imrali in any case and inform the public about him. His isolation and captivity as hostage in the prison of Imrali has to stop immediately. We can never be free unless our leader is free. This is our inseparable relation with him. His freedom will directly bring along the freedom of the Middle East. We do not accept his captivity in Imrali, he needs to be free - we want our leader to be free. We are a freedom wanting people that strive for equality and peace."

“THE PEOPLE'S WILL CANNOT BE PUT UNDER ISOLATION”

Salih Kaplan, another Kurdish citizen who spoke to our agency, said: "The act of isolation in itself is a crime against humanity and democracy because it is forbidden to put humans through it - in particular when they are leaders of peoples. We the Kurdish people cannot accept our leader to be isolated anywhere in the world. Everyone has to raise their voice against the practice of isolation which targets the whole Kurdish people in the person of our leader Apo, the only one who is capable of freeing the country from its never ending crisis. The Kurdish people's leader has to be released instantly, you cannot treat the leader of a whole people like that. These are 40 years that the Kurds follow the path of Serok (Leader) Apo and it will never change. You cannot separate the Kurdish people from their leader. Stop the isolation upon our will."

“THE KEY TO PEACE AND FREEDOM IS ÖCALAN”

Zekiya Kaya expressed his views as follows: "I send my greetings from Van to our Leader Apo in Imrali. Because our leader is held in conditions of forced isolation since 18 years, I decry all the forces which took part in the international conspiracy. This country would have been rewarded with peace and freedom when our leader was let free. He is the key to peace, and we the Kurdish people are the followers of leader Öcalan. Not without reason we call him our red line which cannot be crossed. We have to get immediate information on the situation of him and be able to hear his voice. You have here a leader for whom hundreds of people have put their bodies in flames and because he is fighting and struggling for peace, democracy and people's values and culture, the Kurdish people will never let go of him."

“THE VICTORY WILL BE OURS”

Besna Aydoğan demanded, "The isolation on Serok Apo must be lifted instantly and not alone that, he must be released and freed. All these years, our leader kept on his struggle for peace and freedom of all peoples, so we ourselves will never let go of him. We'll be with our leader till our last breath and will never give up our cause and struggle. God and history are on our side, so we will be victorious in any case."

“THE FIRST CONDITION FOR PEACE IS HIS FREEDOM”

Zahit Akgül said, "The isolation on leader Apo is absolutely unlawful. We are extremely concerned because we even do not get any news on our own leader. The isolation has to be lifted immediately because the number one condition for peace in Turkey is the freedom of leader Apo."