A group of intellectuals, politicians, writers and artists who undersigned a petition by Platform for Freedom for Öcalan made a statement to the press to re-voice their demand for the freedom of the Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan who has been jailed in İmralı Island Prison since 1999.

The petition demands the removal of the isolation imposed on Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan and provision of the conditions for his health, safety and freedom.

The intellectuals, artists and writers came together at a press conference in Istanbul to demand the ending of the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan. The Platform called on the AKP government “to evaluate the results of 7 June elections correctly and to appreciate the desire for change in the society”.

Speaking at the conference on behalf of the Platform for Freedom for Öcalan, Zübeyde Teker said the isolation on Öcalan is also an isolation imposed on all the defenders of peace.

The spokesperson of the Platform, Eren Keskin, drew attention to the fact that sanctions in contradiction to the international law and conventions have continued to be imposed on Öcalan for 16 years after since he was captured in an international plot operation.

Keskin stressed that peace can be decided and put into practice by the parties who fought in a war and that if the leader of one of the parties is held hostage by the other party, there is no way to talk about peace. Keskin also recalled that Öcalan is not being allowed to see his lawyers and family, while his freedom is a necessary condition for the resolution of the Kurdish question and for the peace to prevail in Kurdistan and Turkey.

Speaking after, Turkey Peace Assembly member Hakan Tahmaz stressed that the talks held by the state with Öcalan since 2005 have been instrumentalized by the Turkish authorities and drew attention to the fact that the isolation of the Kurdish Leader has continued even in a period when he could have meetings with the HDP delegation. Tahmaz strongly called for the ending of the isolation on Öcalan and said a reasonable state would be well capable of evaluating correctly the results of 7 June elections and the demand of the people as has been revealed in the elections for peace.

One of the founders of the Platform, Ayşe Batumlu, on the other hand touched upon the Rojava Revolution and said the Turkish state increases the isolation on Öcalan as it sees the wind of change blowing from Rojava for the building of free and equal life.

Rojda from MKM also drew attention to the result of the elections and urged the Turkish state to see the demand for change in the society.

Ender İmrek from Evrensel Newspaper said a real step for the resolution of the Kurdish question necessitates that the Kurdish Leader Öcalan be set free.

Hakan Gürbüz from TOHAV recalled the deepening of the isolation of Öcalan within the past 16 years, describing it as unlawful and contradicting the international conventions. Gürbüz stressed that the isolation on the Kurdish leader has always aimed to make the Kurdish people surrender, adding that Öcalan must be able to have meetings with all the segments of the society and his own cadres for the building of the peace.

A former MP, Ufuk Uras, said the continuation of the isolation of Öcalan means nothing other than an insistence on war in the Middle East.

Lawyer Cengiz Çiçek from Asrın Law Bureau said the capture of Öcalan as a result of an international plot was part of the Great Middle East Project as Öcalan was an actor impairing the imperialist plans in the Middle East. He added that the recently enhanced isolation is an ideological move against the Rojava Revolution.

Zülküf Kurt, an activist of the Platform, drew attention to the fact that Öcalan has always survived the isolations and his power to do so comes from his strong belief in peace.

Hüseyin Koçuk from DBP drew attention to the war plans of the AKP government and the bombardments of the Turkish army on the areas where HPG and PKK forces are stationed, and added that the Turkish army attempts to end the ceasefire in favour of a war and that the isolation of Öcalan is an attack on the determined will of the people of the Middle East for peace.

Ebru Günay from Mesopotamia Lawyers Association pointed out the unlawful implementations and sanctions imposed on Öcalan in Imrali Island, likening the conditions in the island to those in Guantanamo.

DBP co-chair and member of the Platform, Emine Ayna, stressed that talks have been suspended right after the joint declaration in Dolmabahçe Palace, the first declaration of the state to the press regarding the process of resolution.

Ayna also recalled that over 10 million people undersigned a petition demanding freedom for Öcalan and urged the Turkish state to respect the will of the people and to decide clearly whether it is on the side of the peace or not.