In a written statement released today, Turkish Ministry of Justice denied that PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) leader Abdullah Öcalan is having health problems.

The statement of the Ministry came soon after that of KCK (Kurdish Communities Union) which has today made a last warning to the AKP government about the health problems of the Kurdish leader. The Ministry said the statement was released with an aim to inform the public in response to the reports of demands for the treatment of Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı F Type Prison.

The Ministry said that “According to examinations expert doctors of different branches led in İmralı prison on 16th July 2013, there is nothing negative about Abdullah Öcalan's general state of health”.

Remarking that health services in Turkish jails are provided by doctors appointed by the Ministry of Health, the Justice Ministry said that the treatment of the inmates in İmralı F Type High Security Closed Prison are constantly provided by the health officers appointed by the Health Directorate of Bursa. According to the Ministry, inmates in İmralı prison can receive treatment at any time they want, and that all inmates, in the event of needing further care, could be treated at general hospitals should the need arise.

Defending that all penal institutions in Turkey are open to national and international inspection, the Ministry remarked that the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture has been making periodic examinations in Turkish jails and reporting its observations since 1 February 1989.

The Ministry claimed that a delegation of the CPT, which included doctors, visited İmralı prison in June 2013 and conducted necessary inspections. According to the Ministry, the CPT delegation agreed that there was nothing negative about Abdullah Öcalan's general state of health.

The speculations over Öcalan's health could lead up to negative effects on the resolution process, the Ministry added.