BATMAN - Emphasizing that it would not be possible to talk about peace until the isolation on PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan is lifted, the mothers said that the isolation imposed on the Kurdish people should be lifted as soon as possible.

 

The aggravated isolation imposed on Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held in Imralı F Type High-Security Closed Prison for 22 years, has spread to all areas of life, especially prisons. His lawyers and family, who have applied to meet with Abdullah Öcalan, who has not been heard from for seven months, are not allowed to meet by the prison administration on the pretext of disciplinary punishments. While the lack of news from Abdullah Öcalan causes public concern, it gets the public’s reaction.

 

Batman Peace Mothers Council members reacted to the isolation policies and drew attention to the experiences of the prisoners held in prisons.

 

‘It is impossible to talk about peace’

 

Stating that the isolation imposed on PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and the prisoners is an inhumane practice, Meryem Turay, a member of the Peace Mothers Council, underlined that the isolation should be lifted as soon as possible. Meryem said, ‘’We want the isolation on the Leadership to be lifted as soon as possible. Likewise, we want the isolation imposed on our children in prisons to be lifted. As long as the isolation against the Kurdish people is not lifted, it is not possible to talk about peace. That’s why the isolation needs to be lifted and the problems resolved immediately. We demand the release of prisoners and sick prisoners held in prisons. We do not want anyone to die anymore. We want peace and tranquility from the very beginning. Mothers should not cry anymore’’.

 

‘They keep prisoners captive in prisons’

 

Taybet Tekin, a member of the Peace Mothers Council, emphasized that the isolation imposed by the AKP-MHP rulership is mostly applied to the Kurdish people and said, ‘’All of our children are in prisons. The violations of rights on the prisoners at the highest level. With these violations, prisoners are tortured and pressured. Most of the time, the prisoners are not even given food. They keep prisoners captive in prisons. The state takes all the power and does whatever it wants. Where is the law, where is the justice? We should all unite and support the prisoners against all these violations of rights. We will not give up our struggle and will stand by the prisoners until the end’’.

 

‘State fails to achieve its goal’

 

Expressing that they will never accept the isolation imposed on PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdish people by the AKP-MHP rulership, Şükriye Acar, a member of the Peace Mothers Council, also stated that they do not want to remain under pressure of the rulership any longer. ‘’The state carries out so much oppression, cruelty and attacks against our people, but it never achieves its goal. As long as we exist, we will continue to stand by our people and our children. We don’t want mothers’ hearts to burn anymore,’’ she said.

 

‘Prisoners should be released immediately’

 

Menice Göktay, a member of the Peace Mothers Council, also demanded the immediate release of all prisoners held in prison, especially PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. Menice said, ‘’We want the doors of all prisons to be opened with the coming of peace. Prisoners are kept in prisons and tried to be destroyed. We cry for our children every day, day and night. We demand the immediate release of all prisoners, especially our leader’’.