Turkey is considering ending the solitary confinement of Kurdish President Abdullah Öcalan, founder leader of the armed organisation Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The move would represent a small, but significant, compromise with the Kurdish movement. The PKK has demanded for many years now to end with the exceptional conditions of Öcalan, the only president, until now, who has been imprisoned on Imrali Island. The Kurdish leader is serving a life sentence in prison and is prohibited from communicating with anyone that are not his legal representatives.

According to the Turkish Newspaper Hurriyet, Turkey could be in the process of transferring a number of new detainees -between five and six- to Imrali's prison only if and when the president advises the PKK to "end the fighting and to release their weapons." At the same time, the conditions imposed by Ankara are blurry especially since within his confinement Öcalan has repeatedly demanded a peaceful liberation in the name of conflict which would include a cease fire and the resignation of Kurdistan's independence.

Once again, Turkey reacts -discreetly- to the pleas for stabilization from European institutions. Only this time, the possibility of reconsidering Öcalan's situation is being taken more seriously due to the complaints from the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture. Last March the CPT demanded Ankara to end the president's solitary confinement after some representatives of the institution showed signs of worry over his mental health.

The Kurdish leader's lawyers have continuously denounced the maltreatments suffered by the leader, something that just a month ago provoked a series of protests all over Kurdistan, proving once again that Öcalan continues to have enormous popularity among the Kurds.

As of now, the possibility of changing the conditions of the political leader could be seen as an intent from the government to show a more comprehensive side and to put a stop to the foreseen increase popularity of the Social Democratic Party (DTP), Turkey's main Kurdish rank among the institutions before the municipal upcoming elections in March.

Further information:

• Hurriyet (a Flash Bulletin): Turkey to allow Ocalan fellow inmates if he calls to lay down arms
• SETimes.com: Turkey considers ending PKK leader Ocalan's solitary confinement
• Freedom for Öcalan, peace in Kurdistan campaign