JINHA

NEWS CENTER- IPRI (International Peace and Reconciliation Iniciative) made a written statement about isolation impose upon the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. The statement states the isolation upon Abdullah Öcalan should be lifted immediate and the situation of Abdullah Öcalan has become extremely critical and requires immediate intervention by the Council of Europe and the CPT.

IPRI (International Peace and Reconciliation Iniciative) made a written statement concerning isolation impose upon the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. The IPRI calls for peace in Turkey between conflict of the Turkish State and the Kurdish people of Turkey which has been raging for more than 40 years and lifting isolation imposed upon Abdullah Öcalan. The written statement reads; “IPRI unconditionally supports the international call for freedom of Abdullah Öcalan initiated by the International Trade Union Movement Unite and GMB which are based in London. The IPRI calls for peace in Turkey between conflict of the Turkish State and the Kurdish people of Turkey which has been raging for more than 40 years and there is no end in sight. IRPI recently led an international delegation of peace activists, academics, lawyers and politicians (the Imralı Peace Delegation) to turkey to call upon the conflicting parties to resume the peace process which was initiated by Abdullah Öcalan from prison like Nelson Mandela has done in initiating the peace process in South Africa from prison.

“Unfortunately, we could not get an audience with the turkiash Minister of Justice and Abdullah Öcalan to discuss with them the resumption of the peace process. However, during our visit to turkey, we consulted with a wide range of human rights activists, politicians, academics, lawyers and peace activists. They expressed grave concerns about the fact that Abdullah Öcalan has not been given permission to consult his lawyers for more than four years and to have access to members of his family for almost two years. Following such consultations, the Imralı Peace Delegation went to Strasbourg to discuss with the Council of Europe of which Turkey is a member, the question of the resumption of the peace process and with the committee for the prevention of torture a revisit to Imralı to conduct an investigation on question of the violation of the right of Abdullah Öcalan concerning access to his lawyers and to his family members. IPRI is still waiting for a response from them.”

(dk/gd)