Kurdish politician’s asylum request turned into ‘torture’

The asylum process of Kamil Akalın, a Kurdish politician who sought political asylum in the Republic of Cyprus 11 years ago, has turned into torture. Akalın, who has serious health problems, wants his asylum request to be finalised, stressing that the whole process has turned into torture.

Kamil Akalın, a Kurdish politician who carried out political activities in Kurdish political parties such as HADEP, DEHAP and DTP and was repeatedly detained and tortured, sought political asylum in Cyprus in 2010 after facing serious life threats. Kamil Akalın, who is known in Kurdish politics and spent time in prison, has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison, but his asylum request has not been finalized and has become a nightmare.

Akalın, who met the Kurdish political movement while he lived in Adana, worked actively in 1990s in the People’s Labour Party (HEP). When HEP was banned by the Turkish State, he continued his political activities in Democracy Party- DEP. However, when DEP was banned by the Turkish state, Akalın continued his political activities in People’s Democracy Party (HADEP), which was founded to replace DEP.

Akalın, who was detained and tortured several times, was arrested by the Turkish state in 1995 for ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ and sent to Adana Kurkculer Prison.

When Akalın was paroled in 1998, he took part in HADEP Adana provincial organization. The state pressure on Akalın did not end and he was detained and tortured many times.

Akalın said: “I have resisted against all this oppression and never renounced to my political line in spite of the repression.” The politician also has his share of terror during the time of the captivity of The Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan. During this period, Kamil Akalın was arrested for his Newroz activity and democratic political actions, first while in hiding and then while illegally crossing into Romania. Akalın, who works for the Kurdish Cultural Association of Romania, was handed over to Turkey by the Romanian State at the request of the Turkish state. Again he was subjected to all forms of torture such as ‘Hanger’, ‘Pressure Water’ for a week at the Istanbul Anti-Terrorism Branch. Akalın and his friends, were discovered to be in custody as a result of the initiatives of the Human Rights Association and were brought to court about 10 days later and then arrested and sent to Tekirdag Prison.

HE DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO KURDISH POLITICAL

Kürt siyasetçi Kamil Akalın

Kamil Akalın described the process, saying that the Romanian State sent them to their deaths ‘in an act of revenge’. After nearly a year in Tekirdag Prison, Akalın was released and continued his political work. This time, Akalın began to work in Adana provincial organizations of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), which were formed after HADEP was shut down. The pressures on Akalın became more violent, this time police and special operations teams raided his house in Adana and began to put pressure and violence on his family and children.

Explaining that they were subjected to intense pressure during this period, Akalın said, “The Turkish state no longer limited oppression and violence to me. Our house was raided and my parents and children were beaten and threatened. The aim of the Turkish state was for us to stop fighting and give up our beliefs. Now that they know that I do not accept this, they intensified pressures.”

The case against Akalın, who was allegedly a ‘member of an illegal organisation’ at the Istanbul Criminal Court, was concluded in 2009 and he was sentenced to 4 years and 8 months in prison. While appealing the verdict and going to the Supreme Court, Akalın was facing death threats from the police. When his prison sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court, Akalın once again illegally fled Turkey and applied asylum in Cyprus.

The story of Akalın, who sought political asylum in Cyprus in April 2010, does not end there. Akalın’s application for political asylum in Cyprus has not been finalized, even though 10 years have passed. Kurdish politician Akalın, who sought political asylum at the Cyprus Immigration Office in 2010, said the process has now become a ‘torture’.

NO DECISION IN 10 YEARS

Akalın said that he was called to the Immigration Office to testify exactly one and a half years after his asylum application in Cyprus. “l submitted all the documents they requested in support of my asylum case. l proved everything l said.
They said, ‘we will let you know when we make our decision.’ Of course, months and years have passed, and no decision has been made. And five years later they informed me that my asylum request had been rejected.”

Stating that the negative decision that came five years later was against human rights and international law in itself, Akalın said, “I used the right to appeal and presented new evidence and documents. Human rights organizations have also sent them their reference letters about me. They told me they’d go over the file again and decide. But it’s been another five years, and no decision yet . Despite all our applications and objections, there are still no results. That’s another torture I’ve been going through for 10 years. My asylum process has turned to another way of torture.”

‘Cyprus has become my new prison’

Akalın said that he is a Kurdish politician and added that he has not even told everything he experienced. “This is an Island State that has faced the occupation of the Turkish State. However, a state that knows the attitude of the Turkish state is unfortunately holding me here. What’s interesting is that I’ve had diplomacy with ministers, MPs and Kurds. I have been actively working in the Kurdish Cultural Association for 10 years. I had a heart attack once in this country and was treated. Again, I do not have of any social rights. I can’t get out of the bounds of this place. I don’t have the right to work or study. I can’t see or bring my wife and kids. If all this is not torture, what is it?”

Akalın, who is still actively working at the Kurdish Community Centre, demanded that the Republic of Cyprus finalize its asylum request, which has turned into psychological torture.