Laura Castel:  Imralı is a real black hole in the soil of the Council of Europe

2024-02-14 11:15:21


	ANKARA - Spanish Parliament Member Laura Castel stated that PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan is subjected to an isolation that is unprecedented in the world and said: "Imralı is a real black hole in the soil of the Council of Europe."

	PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan, whom global powers saw as an obstacle to their intervention plans in the Middle East, was brought to Turkey on February 15, 1999, with an international conspiracy. Ocalan has been isolated on Imralı Island since that date.

	 

	The conspiracy, which Ocalan described as "NATO Gladio's biggest operation", is continued with the isolation imposed on him in Imralı in the intervening 25 years. There has been no news from Ocalan for 35 months, as the isolation has turned into absolute lack of communication with bans on family and lawyer visits and telephone rights.

	 

	Spanish Parliament Left Group Deputy Laura Castel, who is also a member of the International Peace Delegation, made evaluations about the isolation of PKK Leader Ocalan on the anniversary of the international conspiracy.

	 

	‘IMRALI HAS BEEN A LABORATORY OF THE WORST PRISON PRACTICES’

	 

	Stating that Imralı has been a laboratory of the worst prison practices, which are then applied to the rest of the prisons and Imralı serving as a model for the entire prison system in the country, Laura Castel said that this situation has become visible. Castel said: “No other regime that we know of has implemented long-term stoppage of letters, phone calls, visits or any other form of outside communication.”

	 

	‘BY SILENCING MR. OCALAN THEY PRETEND SILENCE THE KURDISH PEOPLE’

	 

	Citing that Turkish authorities don’t seem interested in a resumption of peaceful political negotiations with the Kurdish movement, Castel said: “That is why they maintain Mr. Abdullah Ocalan completely isolated in Imrali Prison; he is the unique person who could lead the negotiation on behalf of Kurdish party. By silencing Mr. Ocalan, they pretend silence the Kurdish people.”

	 

	Stating that they applied to the CPT for Imralı Island after their visit to Turkey as the International Imralı Peace Delegation in May 2023, Castel added: But as I said in other occasions, in every plenary of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, we the parliamentarians can use our time and tools to ask the COE organisms about Mr. Ocalan situation and request them the building of definitive social peace. During the last session, some of us raise this issue and denounced the extreme situation of Abdullah Ocalan.”

	 

	‘TURKISH STATE OPTING FOR FORCE, WAR AND VIOLENCE’

	 

	Castel stated considering the 25 years of isolation and prolonged incommunicado detention means that the Turkish state has abandoned the law and the possibility of a democratic and political dialogue in its approach to the Kurdish issue, instead opting for force, war, and violence. Castel said: “Opposing dialogue and negotiation for a democratic solution and peace is the political choice of those who profit from the continuation of conflict, polarization, and war. But this choice comes at the price of grave consequences, plunging the country into multiple crises, which can only be overcome by returning to a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue. And this requires abolishing the isolation system and allowing Mr. Ocalan to play his part in guaranteeing a democratic solution and building peace.”

	 

	CALL TO CPT

	 

	Stating that long-term stoppage of letters, phone calls, visits or any other form of outside communication is outrageous and no other regime has implemented this kind of torture, Castel said: “Not even in Guantanamo, or Robben Island or in the H-Blocks of Northern Ireland. It is a real black hole in Council of Europe’ soil, and CPT should release its report immediately, even without Turkish comments or permission.”

	 

	NEGOTIATION IS THE ONLY SOLUTION

	 

	Emphasizing that Ocalan is perceived as the leader of the Kurdish nation, despite his cruel isolation, Castel said: “The unique solution should be set a negotiation table between both sides and pave the way to peace, leaded by Ocalan. But I guess Turkish authorities are afraid of Ocalan’s charisma and prefer maintain him silenced.”

	 

	Castel underlined that the demands for the freedom of Abdullah Ocalan is very difficult to be front page in newspapers due to international scenarios and said: “First was the pandemic; afterwards the war against Ukraine; then, the invasion of Nagorno-Karabach against the Armenians; now, the genocide against Palestine… All those wars make the cause of demanding the freedom of Mr. Ocalan very difficult to be front page in newspapers, as it happens with the outrageous situation of Julian Assange, in a high-security prison in UK.”

	 

	‘VICTORY IS TO RESIST’

	 

	Castel lastly stated: “Evil is spreading all over the globe; too many country leaders are taking advantage of this. At the same time, they keep political opponents in jail, because they are afraid of. But we, the people, have the power of revolution by peaceful means. Victory is to resist.”