Mehmet Ocalan, brother of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, announced that despite formally requesting permission to visit him in İmralı prison, authorities have yet to respond positively.

Speaking to Channel8, Mehmet Ocalan said that both he and Abdullah Ocalan’s lawyers have submitted applications to meet with Abdullah Ocalan. “If they give us an answer, we will go to İmralı,” he stated.

According to Ocalan, family visits are a legal right, but access to İmralı is being handled in what he described as a “special manner” outside their control. He emphasized, “Visiting and meeting with Ocalan is our legal right. That is why we have repeatedly requested permission for family visits, but the situation in İmralı is managed in a way that is beyond our will.”

The family noted that for the past 40 to 50 days, they have been unable to make any visits themselves. Instead, only the İmralı delegation, linked to the ongoing process, has been granted access.

Mehmet Ocalan added that despite continued applications, they do not know the exact reasons for the restrictions. “We do not understand the obstacles. Our requests are consistently denied,” he said.

The last time Mehmet Ocalan visited his brother was on July 4, 2025, accompanied by Abdullah Ocalan’s lawyer, Mazlum Dinç. Later, on July 27, 2025, Omer Ocalan, another relative and a DEM Party parliamentarian, also visited. Earlier in the year, on March 31, 2025, both Mehmet and Omer Ocalan had been allowed to visit Abdullah Ocalan during Ramadan celebrations.

The first family visit after 43 months of isolation took place on October 23, 2024, when Omer Ocalan was permitted to see his uncle following calls by Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the MHP, urging that visits resume and that Abdullah Ocalan be allowed to make a statement in the Turkish parliament.