HDP deputies stressed that democracy will not be possible until the aggravated isolation of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan is lifted, insisting that “the main duty of every democrat should be to expose the policy of isolation.”
For 21 days, MPs from the HDP parliamentary group have been protesting for the lifting of the total isolation of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, of whom there has been no sign of life for 22 months. Day after day, the MPs try to march in front of the Ministry of Justice but are prevented from doing so by the police and therefore make statements in front of the parliament. Today's protest was attended by deputies Meral Danış Beştaş, Hisyar Özsoy, Mahmut Toğrul, Dilan Dirayet Taşdemir, Ömer Öcalan, Necdet İpekyüz, Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Hüseyin Kaçmaz, Zeynel Özen and Kemal Peköz.
Speaking here, HDP Group Deputy Chair Meral Danış Beştaş said: “Whatever their political opinion is, the main duty of every democrat in Turkey should be to expose the policy of isolation.” She added that it is not possible for Turkey to attain a genuine democracy until the isolation in the Imrali prison is over.”
Beştaş remarked: “Those who know that it is Öcalan who will get Turkey out of its current crises insist on isolation. They fear that if the isolation is lifted, their corrupted government will come to an end.”
Beştaş continued: “Those who insist on war policies now also insist on isolation. No one seeks a privilege for prisoners in this regard. The prisoners who are unjustly kept under isolation in Imrali do not want privileges, either. The demand of millions and us is not privilege, but the implementation of the principles of law. The Kurdish question cannot be resolved with security policies, nor with isolation. Imrali must be shut down, the isolation must be lifted.”
“The HDP has always advocated peace against war, freedom and law against isolation. We hereby call out to the Minister of Justice, the President, the government and officials once again: you will never succeed by maintaining isolation, ignoring the demands of millions of Kurdish citizens and of Turkish society. You will lose in the upcoming elections. With or without an election, the isolation, crimes against humanity and torture must end. This is our main agenda,” Beştaş concluded.
