ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Abdullah Ocalan’s family members and lawyer have not been given permission by the authorities to visit the imprisoned Kurdish leader, they told Rudaw, denying recent reports in Turkish media that a visit would be allowed.
“I am not aware of this issue. I just heard it from you. We have always asked to meet him but until now they didn’t give us a positive answer,” Mehmet, Ocalan’s brother, told a Rudaw reporter.
Dilek Ocalan, a lawmaker in the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) and niece of Ocalan, also denied the reports of a forthcoming visit with her uncle and accused Turkish media of misleading the public.
“We will not confirm the news and they want to mislead public by publishing false information,” Dilek Ocalan explained. “Ocalan’s remarks and opinion is very important in this situation and they know the influence he has so they publish this kind of news on purpose. We call on people not to believe what they have been told.”
Turkish media are also reporting that a public message from Ocalan might be published in July.
“There is only one absolute truth and that is the fact that Ocalan is under strict isolation and the government wants to keep everything hidden by disseminating this false information,” Sarica said.
“I am not aware of this issue. I just heard it from you. We have always asked to meet him but until now they didn’t give us a positive answer,” Mehmet, Ocalan’s brother, told a Rudaw reporter.
Dilek Ocalan, a lawmaker in the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) and niece of Ocalan, also denied the reports of a forthcoming visit with her uncle and accused Turkish media of misleading the public.
“We will not confirm the news and they want to mislead public by publishing false information,” Dilek Ocalan explained. “Ocalan’s remarks and opinion is very important in this situation and they know the influence he has so they publish this kind of news on purpose. We call on people not to believe what they have been told.”
It has been more than 14 months since Ocalan was permitted to have a visitor on his island prison of Imrali. His family was last able to visit him on October 6, 2014 and a delegation from HDP visited him on April 6, 2015.
Turkish media are also reporting that a public message from Ocalan might be published in July.
Ocalan’s lawyer Rezan Sarica revealed that his client is under extreme control and isolation.
“They began this kind of news again. I am his lawyer but not aware of this visit. All our requests were refused by Turkish ministry of justice.”
“There is only one absolute truth and that is the fact that Ocalan is under strict isolation and the government wants to keep everything hidden by disseminating this false information,” Sarica said.
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