International Initiative
Freedom for Ocalan – Peace in Kurdistan
P.O. Box 100511, D-50445 Koeln
E-Mail: info@freedom-for-ocalan.com
Url: www.freedom-for-ocalan.com

Sep. 30, 2003

Press Rlease:
Ocalan refuses lawyer visits as of now - Kurds deeply worried

On February 15, 1999 Abdullah Ocalan was abducted to Turkey under violation of international law. Since then he has been imprisoned on the island auf Imrali. The severe conditions of his isolation have affected his health seriously. The Kurdish leader suffers from grave difficulties of breathing that sometimes result in choking fits. His lawyers, therefore, fear for the life of their client. Again, the long imprisonment in complete isolation has also affected his senses of taste and smell negatively. There is only limited medical care available on the prison island.

Although the anti-torture-committee of the Council of Europe has repeatedly encouraged the lifting of the isolation, its appeals have yet been ignored by the Turkish authorities. Presently, Abdullah Ocalan has decided to refuse seeing his lawyers for the time being in protest against the inhumane prison conditions. Only a transfer to another prison, the complete lifting of the isolation detention, and an alleviation of the detention conditions - as it has been proposed by the CPT – can put an end to this situation.

So far these visits had been the only access to the KADEK-president.

It was because of his influence on the PKK that the war had been unilaterally stopped. The armed PKK-forces had been withdrawn from Turkish territory to make way for a political solution of the Kurdish question. However, Turkey largely missed this opportunity. Even after the Turkish parliament - with a view to Turkey’s EU accession aspirations – has adopted a number of reform packages giving more rights to the Kurds – these laws are still far from being put into practice. The human rights situation in Turkey is still disastrous. Simple democratic demands are still met with repression, and democratic political parties are threatened with a ban. Abdullah Ocalan’s “withdrawal” has created an explosive situation because his moderating influence is now cut off. However, the Kurds in Turkey but also in Europe are extremely worried and have already announced wide protests.

Meanwhile, KADEK has declared the end of the unilateral ceasefire for September 1, 2003. The Turkish government was given a period of three months in order to take some positive steps towards a bilateral armistice, meaning the Turkish army is to stop all its operations against the Kurdish guerrilla, while the security forces in general have to end their assaults on Kurdish institutions. Otherwise, another armed encounter will be inevitable.

This has to be prevented. As an international peace initiative we are extremely concerned about the present developments. We therefore call on the European community of states to use their moderating influence on Turkey. The Kurdish question needs to be made a central theme. A new war would have incalculable consequences. Both parties of the conflict need to aim at a peaceful solution. An improvement of the prison conditions for Abdullah Ocalan would be a credible step in the right direction. Turkey’s burning problems need to be solved through consensual dialogue with its Kurdish citizens.

Stop the total isolation of Abdullah Ocalan! – Peace now!

Source: MHA, 27 September 2003; Medya-TV, 27 September 2003, statement by Mr. Ocalan’s lawyers at a press-conference in Istanbul 30 September 2003.