Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan is imprisoned in a high-security prison on Imrali Island. Erdogan regime has strictly isolated Ocalan after April 2015. Since that date only Ocalan’s brother, Mehmet Ocalan was able to visit Imrali, for only once on September 11, 2016.

Ocalan family applied to Bursa Public Prosecutor’s office for permission to visit Abdullah Ocalan because of Eid al-Adha. Eid el-Adha is a religious holiday and prisoners has the right to see their family members outside of the routine prison visit schedule.

The prosecutor rejected the application and said under the state of emergency law certain prisoners rights can be suspended for a certain amount of time.

Mehmet Ocalan said they have no news from his brother and he is deeply concerned about his well-being.

“A prisoners right to see his lawyer or members of his family is a fundamental right. Our applications are rejected unlawfully. We have no news from my brother since 11 September 2016, therefore, we don’t know whats happening in Imralı. And we are concerned about it” he said.

Mehmet Öcalan expressed strong reactions to the stance of the government and state officials and said that the current state of emergency was used as a pretext this time, but it is never clear when they would end it. 

Mehmet Öcalan questioned that inhumane and unlawful treatment and said: "It is our right given by law and Justice that we can visit our brother on a holy day. It is a right described by law. But now they took away even that bit of that right from us. Our most basic rights get taken away from us. We do not know what is happening in Imrali since September 11. This makes us extremely concerned. We call on the government and state to stop violating our democratic and legal rights. We insist that this is our legal right. Because it is our right, we applied a day before to the prosecutor's office for a visit to the Imrali prison island. We demand an explanation on why the government and state do not allow us to visit our brother. We demand an explanation from the government and state."

Ocalan said his brother can help to stop the conflict and stop the bloodshed in Turkey and in the Middle East. Ocalan insisted that isolation of Abdullah Ocalan should be abandoned immediately.

Ocalan last met with his lawyers on 21 July 2011 and with the Imrali delegation on 5 April 2015.