Sociologist Prof. Louis Lemkow of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona called for the release of Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned for 25 years, a plays a key role in solving the Kurdish question.
There has been no news of Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned on the Turkish prison island of Imrali for 25 years, since March 2021. The Kurdish leader is denied the right to contact his lawyers and relatives, and his isolation is absolute. The only institution that could formally gain access to the prison island is the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), which is apparently keeping quiet on the issue.
There is still support from various circles as part of the campaign for the release of Abdullah Öcalan and a political solution to the Kurdish question, which was launched in October 2023.
Sociologist Prof. Louis Lemkow from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona spoke to ANF about the issue. Lemkow said that the isolation of Öcalan cannot be legally justified. The complete isolation of the Kurdish leader is political repression and unacceptable. "For this reason, Öcalan's prison conditions are also an issue for us," said Lemkow, adding that the fact that isolation is seen as a normal state of affairs is also worrying. The judiciary in Turkey is used as a political instrument.
Lemkow pointed out similarities in the situation in Kurdistan and Catalonia and said: "In Turkey there is formal democracy, but in reality it is a repressive regime. The way Abdullah Öcalan is being treated, like the human rights crisis, is a result of this. Democracy in Turkey is eroding. Basic rights and civil liberties are being curtailed. This is also happening in the Spanish state. The judiciary is being used even though it is not the right place to resolve political issues. For us, this is a cause for great concern.”
Abdullah Öcalan plays a key role in a democratic solution to the Kurdish question, said Lemkow, adding: “He is a great figure and has great importance. I think that he represents the Kurdish demands very well. He is clearly an important symbolic figure. And he must be released because he is imprisoned because of his ideology and demands. He is a political prisoner, which is unacceptable in democracies. That is why he must be released.”
