ANKARA- Responding to the parliamentary question regarding PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan's health condition, the Ministry of Health claimed that his health condition was not within its scope of duty. Reacting, DEM Party member Sezai Temelli said: "If health is not within its scope of duty, what does?" 

 

People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Group Deputy Chair Sezai Temelli made a statement regarding the health condition of PKK Leader Abdullah, who has been held under heavy isolation since the day he was brought to the Type F High Security Closed Prison on İmralı Island and has been prevented from receiving news from him for 35 months. He submitted a parliamentary question to the Presidency of the Parliament for November 2023.

 

In the motion requested to be answered by the Ministry of Health, information was included that the PKK Leader has not been heard from for a long time and has not been allowed to meet with his family, lawyers and guardian, therefore there is no information about his health condition, and that the concerns in the society have increased due to these situations.

 

ONE QUESTION

 

In addition, there was only one question: "Do you have information about the health condition of Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı? Why are Öcalan's family, lawyers and the public not informed about his health condition?” 

 

'WHOSE AREA OF DUTY IS IT?'

 

The Ministry responded to this one-question proposal on January 11. Responding, the Ministry's Private Secretary's Office pointed to Temelli's proposal in their response and stated: "The issues included in the written question proposal numbered (...) regarding the health status of a prisoner in İmralı F-Type High Security Closed Prison are not within the scope of our ministry's jurisdiction." 

 

REACTED

 

Reacting to the Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca at the General Assembly regarding the response, Temelli said: “If the health issue does not fall within the scope of responsibility of the Ministry of Health, what does? As far as we understand from the minister's presentation, construction works are included, hospital construction is included, but people's health conditions are not included. We are asking the minister once again about the health status of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan."