Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Şırnak MP Nevroz Uysal Aslan applied to the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission (İHİK) about the situation of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, Veysi Aktaş, Ömer Hayri Konar and Hamili Yıldırım, who have been held in İmralı Island and have not been heard from for 43 months. 

 

'INCOMMUNICADO' 

 

In the application, it was pointed out that there has been no news from the island for 43 months, and it was stated that the last news from Öcalan was in 2021 and that Öcalan has been prevented from meeting with lawyers for 8 years. 

 

In the application, the report of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CTP) on August 5, 2020 on the isolation was pointed out and it was stated in the report that the 'incommunicado' state is unacceptable and the decision of the UN Human Rights Committee to end the incommunicado state regarding the application on September 6, 2022 was recalled. 

 

SOLUTION MUST BE DEVELOPED

 

The application underlined the state's failure to fulfill its obligation regarding the Committee's decision and reminded that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe requested Turkey to provide information by July 26, 2025 on the follow-up of its recommendations on Öcalan and 3 other persons, on the facilitation of their meetings with their families and legal representatives, and on the repeal of legislation enacted during the state of emergency and affecting the enjoyment of fundamental legal guarantees. The application concluded with the following statements: “In order to put an end to the quarter-century-long violation of the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment on İmralı Island Prison, and to establish lasting peace and the rule of law in Turkey, it is essential that your Commission takes initiatives and develops solutions to end the legislation and practice contrary to international human rights instruments and standards.”