Safiye Alağaş

 

DIYARBAKIR - The hunger strike that the prisoners started to abolish the isolation of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and to end the violations in prisons, continues. Prisoner Rojbin Yakut said ''We will continue the hunger strike until our demands are accepted."

 

The hunger strike which started on November 27 by prisoners in Turkey's and region's prisons to abolish the continued isolation of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and end the right violations in prisons continues. The hunger strike action is on its 35th day with the seventh group. A new group takes over the hunger strike every 5 days. Rojbin Yakut, who is one of the prisoners who tried to make their voices heard, called for solidarity by the telephone conversation with her family in Bünyan T Type Closed Prison.

 

Rojbin, who was arrested in the Ceylanpınar district of Urfa in 2015, and was exiled to Tarsus Women's Closed Prison after being held in Urfa for a year. Rojbin, who was exiled from Tarsus Prison to Bünyan T-Type Prison in Kayseri a year and a half later, took part in the first group in the hunger strike that started on November 27.

 

'Our first goal is to end the isolation'

 

Rojbin, who made a phone call with her family, drew attention to the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan and said, "The first aim of the hunger strike is to abolish the isolation of Leader Öcalan. If the isolation of Leader Abdullah Öcalan is lifted, the oppression and isolation of prisons will also end. Our release are being canceled with the oppression we are going through in prison. We cannot meet with our families on the pretext of disciplinary action. Many of our friends needed to be released but the release was canceled.  Their punishments have been extended. Our friends, who need to be released as soon as possible, are not released. They are said to be released a year later. Our biggest problem is that books and newspapers are not provided for us. Especially the Yeni Yaşam newspaper is not given us. Sometimes Evrensel newspaper is not given neither. The TV channels don't work.  In this way, our right to receive news is prevented. These are the problems we face on a daily basis. No response is given to us when we write petitions to resolve these problems. Our most natural rights are taken away from us.

 

'We, as all prisoners, are in isolation'

 

Stating that the books which were sent to them were not given on the pretext that they were crossed out, Rojbin underlined that the books sent from other prisons were neither not given to them. She said, "We are always expressing all these problems. We are in isolation as all political prisoners. In this way, they isolate us from the society. Even our desire to read books is blocked'.

 

'They don’t give us sugar and baking soda'

 

Stating that they are not given baking soda and sugar, Rojbin continued: "Our bodies are starving. It causes permanent damage to our bodies. Even baking soda is not given.  When they give, we are given very little. Sugar and salt were given late for the 5th group that took over the hunger strike action. With these, our social activities were limited. Common conversations and sports are very limited. Our demands are not demands that cannot be fulfilled. According to the statements of the prison administration, there is nobody here who has caught the covid. We do not know exactly what the real situation is. Because sometimes, we get the information that some prisoners are caught Covid-19. But we cannot get clear information. Again, cleaning supplies are not enough. "

 

Rojbin called for their demands to be accepted. She said, ''We will not stop the hunger strike until our demands are accepted." The phone call was stopped due to the expiration of the call before Rojbin completed her speech.