Families of Öcalan and 3 Other Inmates Go to İmralı Prison for Visitation

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Sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment and currently held in İmralı Prison, Kurdistan Worker Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan's family and the families of three other inmates have set off for the İmralı Island.

Öcalan's brother Mehmet Öcalan, Hamili Yıldırım's brother Polat Yıldırım, Ömer Hayri Konar's brother Emin Konar and Veysel Aktaş's sister Sabiha Aslan went to the Gemlik Gendarmerie Station in Gemlik in Bursa in the early morning hours today (June 5).

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Mehmet Öcalan, the brother of Abdullah Öcalan, who is held in İmralı Type F High-Security Closed Prison, applied to the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office via his attorneys on May 31 and requested a Ramadan Feast visitation with his brother.

The families of the three other inmates held in İmralı also applied to the Prosecutor's Office with the same request.

As the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has granted their requests, the relatives of inmates went to the Gemlik Gendarmerie Station earlier today. After completing the formalities there, they have set off for the island.

First visitation in İmralı

The last time Abdullah Öcalan met his brother Mehmet Öcalan was on January 12, 2019. While Ömer Hayri Konar and Veysel Aktaş have not not their relatives since March 15, 2015, when they were sent to İmralı Prison, Hamili Yıldırım has not received any family visitation since July 15, 2015, when he was imprisoned in İmralı.

Öcalan met his lawyers after 8 years

The lawyers of Abdullah Öcalan from the Asrın Law Bureau went to İmralı on May 2 and May 22, thereby meeting their client for the first time after eight years. Upon the call of Öcalan in the second meeting, hunger strikes and death fasts were ended on May 26, 2019. (HA/SD)