On the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, Abdullah Öcalan and the other three prisoners on İmralı received a visit from their relations. This should not have been news. If Turkey obeyed international – and their own national – law, family visits would be a regular occurrence; but they don’t and they aren’t. In fact, family visits have always been restricted, and up until now, Öcalan has received only six visits from family members since 2014. The other three prisoners have only received two or three family visits since they came to the island ten years ago.
For Eid, Öcalan met with his nephew Ömer Öcalan and his brother Mehmet. Ömer Hayri Konar met his brother Ali, Hamili Yıldırım met his brother Polat, and Veysi Aktaş met his sister Sabiha Aslan.
Ömer Öcalan wrote on Twitter,
“On the occasion of the Ramadan Feast, we held a meeting with the families of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, Hamili Yıldırım, Veysi Aktaş and Ömer Hayri Konar, who are in İmralı Island Prison, on March 31 (today). In this period when important developments are taking place in Türkiye, the Middle East and the world, I present the message of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan to the public: ‘I salute our people for embracing the Call for Peace and Democratic Society with great enthusiasm on Newroz. Once again, I congratulate our people on Newroz and the Eid al-Fitr.’”
(For nearly 43 months, up until last October, Öcalan was denied all contact with the outside world, bar one visit by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). Lawyers visits have been even more restricted than family ones. Apart from five visits in 2019, in response to a mass hunger strike, Öcalan has not seen his lawyers since 2011. The other prisoners have not seen their lawyers since coming to the Island. Öcalan has also received three visits from DEM Party politicians since late December.)