Ocalan allowed first visit in more than a year; met brother and lawyer

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Mohamad Ocalan visited his brother, Abdullah Ocalan, at his Imrali island prison on Sunday, after official permission was granted the day before.

 

Mohamad Ocalan and Mazlum Dinc, Abdullah Ocalan’s lawyer, visited the prison Sunday morning, Turkish media  reported. The visit was permitted for the occasion of the Eid al-Adha holiday.

 

“Our only request of the Turkish government is to allow us within the law to visit Abdullah Ocalan and to also allow his lawyers to see him,” Mohamad had said, when requesting permission to meet with his brother.

 

Mohamad has not made any statements as of yet following his meeting with his brother. But sources told Rudaw that he is expected to hold a press conference soon, outlining details of his visit.

 

Abdullah Ocalan had not had any visitors more for than a year, since a delegation from the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture was granted permission to meet with him on April 28 and 29 last year.

 

Some 50 Kurdish politicians and activists began an indefinite hunger strike on September 5 following a meeting of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Congress (DTK). The objective was to end the isolation of the Kurdish leader and came amid concerns for his health and security status. There were even doubts that the Kurdish leader was alive after the failed Turkish coup d'état on July 15. 

 

Ocalan’s family was last able to visit him on October 6, 2014 and a delegation from the pro-Kurdish HDP party visited him on April 6, 2015. His lawyers have not been permitted to meet with him since 2011.