Ömer Öcalan
Ömer Öcalan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Assembly Member for Şanlıurfa | |
| Assumed office June 2018 | |
| Constituency | Şanlıurfa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1987 Halfeti, Şanlıurfa |
| Citizenship | Turkish |
| Nationality | Kurdish |
| Political party | DBP, HDP |
| Relatives | Abdullah Öcalan (uncle) Osman Öcalan (uncle) Dilek Öcalan (cousin) |
Ömer Öcalan (born 1987) is a former politician of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and a current member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey representing Şanliurfa for the Green Left Party (YSP)
Early life and education
[edit]He was born in 1987 in Halfeti, Şanlıurfa, as a son of Mehmet and Fehime Öcalan.[1] His uncle is Abdullah Öcalan, the founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).[2] He spent a large part of his youth in Adana, where he graduated from high school.[3] It was at this time he was detained to first time for a short while.[3] After his release he studied journalism at Ankara University. In 2012 he wanted to study politics at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, but had to abandon due to economic reasons.[3]
Political career
[edit]As he returned from Lausanne, he settled in Mardin, where his wife worked at the Municipality.[3] In 2014 he assumed as the co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (BDP) in Mardin, a post he held until 2016.[4] During his tenure, he was arrested with another five in April 2016, due to an investigation on terror related charges.[5] He was released a few months later in June of the same year.[6] In the parliamentary elections of June 2018 he was elected to parliament for the HDP representing Sanilurfa.[7] On the 17 March 2021, the Turkish state prosecutor before the Court of Cassation Bekir Şahin filed a lawsuit before the Constitutional Court demanding for him and 686 other HDP politicians a five-year ban for political activities.[8] The lawsuit was filed together with the request for a closure of the HDP[8] due to their politicians alleged participation in terrorist activities.[9] In the parliamentary elections of May 2023, he was re-elected to the Turkish parliament representing Sanlıurfa for the YSP.[10]
Views
[edit]As a deputy he opposed the implementation of a law aimed at lowering the risk of contagion with COVID-19 in prisons, which released many prisoners but excluded the HDP politicians. According to him, Kurdish politicians are imprisoned for speaking about "democracy, equality, peace and freedoms".[11] He took part in the protests against the dismissal of the HDP mayors in the south eastern part of Turkey, which were replaced by state appointed acting mayors.[12]
Personal life
[edit]Due to being Abdullah Öcalan's nephew, he was not allowed to visit his relatives in Ömerli, the birth place of Abdullah on 4 April 2018, the birthday of his uncle.[13] Ömer Öcalan is married and has two children.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "TÜRKİYE BÜYÜK MİLLET MECLİSİ". www.tbmm.gov.tr. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
- ^ "Jailed Kurdish leader meets brother in Turkish prison". France 24. 2019-01-12. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- ^ a b c d "'Soyadımın bazılarını tedirgin ettiğini biliyorum' - Vecdi Erbay". www.gazeteduvar.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- ^ "Ömer Öcalan". www.biyografya.com. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
- ^ "DBP Mardin Eşbaşkanı Ömer Öcalan tutuklandı". CNN Türk (in Turkish). Retrieved 2020-09-10.
- ^ "DBP Mardin İl Eş Başkanı Öcalan serbest bırakıldı". Yüksekova Haber Portalı (in Turkish). 2016-06-18. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- ^ Şafak, Yeni (2020-08-09). "Şanlıurfa Seçim Sonuçları - Genel Seçim 2018 Şanlıurfa Sonucu". Yeni Şafak (in Turkish). Retrieved 2020-09-08.
- ^ a b "HDP indictment seeks political ban for 687 members, including Demirtaş, Buldan and Sancar". Bianet. Retrieved 2021-03-19.
- ^ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Staatsanwaltschaft macht Front gegen Partei HDP | DW | 17.03.2021". DW.COM (in German). Retrieved 2021-03-26.
- ^ Şafak, Yeni (2023-06-14). "Şanlıurfa Seçim Sonuçları - 2023 Genel Seçim Şanlıurfa Oy Oranları | CANLI". Yeni Şafak (in Turkish). Retrieved 2023-06-14.
- ^ "Ömer Öcalan: Hostility against Kurds is at the basics of the state". Mezapotamiya Ajansi. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- ^ "Istanbul police fire rubber bullets at group protesting ouster of Kurdish mayors". Ahval. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- ^ "HDP Deputy Ömer Öcalan not allowed into Amara". ANF News. Retrieved 2020-09-10.