ANKARA - Reminding that the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan has been recognised by the parliament, lawyer Sevda Çelik Özbingöl said that legal arrangements regarding the ‘Right to Hope’ should be made immediately.

 

In 2014, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found the aggravated life imprisonment of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). However, despite the 10 years that have passed, no step has been taken regarding the ‘Right to Hope’ and no improvement has been made in the conditions.

 

Firstly, on 22 October, MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, after his remarks at a group meeting in which he accepted the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan, stipulated the condition of ‘liquidation of the organisation’ in order to benefit from the ‘right to hope’.

 

Commenting on the issue, Lawyer Sevda Çelik Özbingöl, Co-Spokesperson of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Legal Commission, underlined that legal arrangements must be made and placed on a legal basis in order to realise this right.

 

‘Isolation at the centre of general problems’

 

Sevda Çelik Özbingöl stated that the existing isolation conditions are reflected in all prisons and that Abdullah Öcalan, who is the first and main solution interlocutor, should be included in the mentioned process in order to eliminate these problems and said, "We are of the opinion that the isolation in İmralı Island Prison, which started and continues in the person of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, constitutes the centre of the general problems of our country. Our demands, statements and discourses are based on this determination on the basis of the elimination of isolation and we attach importance to this. Moreover, considering the process in the Middle East, especially the reality of building social peace in our country, it is necessary to ensure that Mr Abdullah Öcalan, who is the solution owner, is included in this process and that these problems are solved with an inclusion in return for this mission he has."

 

There is a contradiction between discourse and practice

 

Sevda Çelik Özbingöl reminded that ‘Although we see peaceful discourses being made by the ruling partner, there are practices, bans and interventions that will nullify these discourses’ and said the following: ‘No matter how much a discourse is being developed, a confrontational and oppressive method is being followed in return, and we see these as contradictory attitudes. But these contradictory attitudes, of course, do not make that peaceful discourse meaningless and worthless. On this basis, criticisms and attitudes that need to be developed need to be voiced.

 

Mr Ocalan says isolation continues

 

On 23 October our MP Ömer Öcalan had a meeting with Mr Abdullah Öcalan. What was said in this meeting is that the isolation continues and that there is the theoretical and practical power to knit this process. The isolation of Mr Öcalan, a person who is known by everyone and who has the power to weave and build peace, and subsequently the necessity of legal regulation on the right to hope. We are not in favour of a one-dimensional execution of this process. We are talking about a process that concerns the whole of society, which includes both the negotiation process and the parliamentary dimension in the parliament, where a work and involvement will be required, and all social non-governmental organisations and initiatives should also be involved.”

 

‘We expect a positive response to the applications of our co-chairs’

 

Sevda Çelik Özbingöl said that they found it important that the applications made by the DEM Party Co-Chairs to the Ministry of Justice requesting a meeting with Ömer Öcalan following his meeting with Abdullah Öcalan were taken into consideration and added: "We think that Abdullah Öcalan should be allowed to meet with his family and lawyers, as well as many political people who can have an impact on the process. We believe that the application made by our Co-Chairs should be answered positively. Because the mission of Mr Abdullah Öcalan and the role and mission he represents in this process has and should have a political equivalent, if a process is to be carried out to build social peace, of course, political representations will also have their own roles, duties and missions in this process. On this basis, we find it important, valuable and valuable if we have a duty and responsibility as a party in this process. Of course, we think that the process to be carried out has a parliamentary dimension and a political aspect. We are of the opinion that it should be operated collectively and in a way that will impose and impose responsibilities on everyone and everyone."