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)
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]
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]
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]
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]
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)
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]
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]
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]
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]