Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's brother Mehmet Öcalan spoke to the ANF and stated that their concerns as a family have grown since the news posted on social media. Öcalan said they appeal to the Ministry of Justice and the Bursa Public Prosecutor’s Office every week through their lawyers, but their appeals are never answered. Öcalan added: “This is not acceptable. Preventing family and lawyer visits has no place in law. This is blatant unlawfullness.”

ÖCALAN FORESAW THESE

Mehmet Öcalan said they as a family are deeply concerned and that the isolation is not just an issue for his family, but for all peoples and the state as well. Mehmet Öcalan pointed out that Abdullah Öcalan foresaw this process in their meeting on September 11, 2011: “His health was OK, but he was nervous and angry. He said he did and would continue to do everything he could for the process, but he had trepidations regarding the way the current state system handled the matter. He foresaw from those days that there could be blockages if things continued the way they did.”

EVERYBODY WILL SUFFER

Öcalan stressed that the isolation policy is not doing anybody any favors, and that the Kurdish issue won’t be resolved as long as the isolation continues. Mehmet Öcalan mentioned Abdullah Öcalan’s influence in Turkey and the Middle East and underlined that the isolation is not fully separate from the tensions in the Middle East. Öcalan said: “Mr. Öcalan is a bridge of peace between peoples, and if this bridge falls Kurds, Turks and everybody else will be harmed by it. Nobody has the right to tear down that bridge. The state and the government should stop with the unlawfullness. The way for visits needs to be opened right now. If Mr. Öcalan is able to meet with his family and lawyers, it will be better for Turkey too. The way to Imrali must be opened at once.”