In a written statement, the KCDK-E said that the isolation imposed on Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan was "not an acceptable situation" for the Kurdish people and called on them to actively participate in the three-day sit-ins that will begin tomorrow, 5 August.

The statement is as follows: "Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan has been held in isolation for 25 years. The CPT and the Council of Europe are not disclosing information about what happened in Imralı and why there were no meetings with Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan].

A system of isolation that has been maintained for 25 years, no news from Leader Apo for 4 years, and similarly, the prevention of visits from family and lawyers, are no longer acceptable situations for the Kurdish people.

The disciplinary punishments put forward as an excuse for the isolation of Leader Apo are to prevent visits, but essentially to prevent him from being retried and gaining his physical freedom through the ‘Right to Hope’. This is not an acceptable situation. ‘Disciplinary punishment’ is a fabricated excuse."

The statement added: "There isgreat resistance continuing in Imralı. This resistance is against both international conspiracy forces and the genocidal system of the Turkish state. This determined resistance maintained by Leader Apo continues on the basis of the trial and conviction of the colonialist and genocidal Turkish state.

This great resistance that Leader Apo is carrying out in Imrali is spreading and growing all over the world. The fascist Turkish state insists on continuing the lawlessness and torture system. The Kurdish people do not see the Imrali torture system and regime as legitimate and do not accept it. Our determined struggle to expose the Imrali system, which is completely carried out with lawlessness and injustice, and to unmask the genocidal Turkish state continues."

The statement continued: "Our struggle to force the CPT, the Council of Europe and institutions that have direct and indirect contributions to the isolation to take a stance continues. For this reason, the Kurdish people and their friends in Europe, England, Canada and Australia are starting a sit-in protest on 5-6-7 August.

We call on our people, our friends, young people, women, the elderly and children to actively participate in the sit-in protests starting tomorrow."