Dîcle Demhat

 

KOBANÊ - Families sent a message of support for the prisoners who were arrested and put in prison in Turkey after joining the PKK from northern and eastern Syria. They said, "We resist to break the attacks and embargoes against these areas, and our children in prisons resist to break the isolation."

 

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 on its 40th day.  Besê Kino's, Werde Muhemed Eli's and Eyşe Saidun's relatives joined the PKK from northern and eastern Syria and were arrested and placed in Turkey's prisons. Now they and their relatives are on a hunger strike. Their relatives spoke about the situation in prisons and the hunger strike resistance.

 

‘Their struggle continues despite the torture’

 

After the death of the mother of Fatma Seydo,  Besê Kino looked after her. Fatma participated in the PKK and was injured and arrested by  cooperation between Turkey and KDP  in 1997.  Besê  said, ''After the KDP turned over my sister in law (Fatma Seydo) to Turkish State,  she was sentenced to life imprisonment.'' Besê stated that Fatma, who was exiled to different prisons, was finally taken to Izmir, she said, '' We talk on the phone every Friday. Before, we could phone for 10 minutes but after visiting ban we can phone for 20 minutes. Every time we talk, she tells us about her experiences in prison. With the start of the pandemic process, the number of people in the wards increased. Fatma states that they do not have beds as many as their number. The administration kept all prisoners in two wards.  The prisoners are given water every three days.  And they took prisoners' notebooks and pens. Fatma also states that the meals are not clean. Despite all the tortures, they continue their struggle.''

 

'International organizations should fulfill their duties'

 

Besê drew attention to the hunger strike that started against the attacks on the cities of North and East Syria and the regions in Federated Kurdistan and also against the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan and said, "Leader Abdullah Öcalan is the person who can stop Erdogan's attacks. Realizing this, our children in prisons started hunger strikes with great struggle and resistance. On this basis, they state that they are persistent in their actions. International organizations should fulfill their duties for inhuman crimes in prisons"

 

'Our children are resisting to break the isolation'

 

Reminding the hunger strike started by Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-Chair Leyla Güven in 2018, Besê said: "With the resistance of Leyla Güven, news was received from the Leader. After a short time, the isolation of the leadership has grown even more. After the hunger strike was over, Leyla Güven recovered herself and started her studies again. The Turkish state sentenced Leyla Güven 22 years and 3 months on unjust accusations. Leyla Güven became the will of the people. Arrest of HDP MPs is still ongoing. Arresting an HDP MP is to break the will of the people. As the Kurdish people, we do not accept this. If there was no resistance in prisons, the prisoners would face all kinds of violence. They protect themselves with their resistance. We are getting strength from our children who resist  in the prisons and from the Leader. Without the unity of four parts of Kurdistan, our life would be like in prisons. We are fighting to break the attacks and embargoes against these areas, and our children in the prisons resist to break the isolation. "

 

‘Fatma's struggle is not incomplete’

 

Emphasizing the role of women in the resistance in prisons, Besê stated that Fatma’s struggle is not incomplete. Stating that her son and husband also lost their lives while defending their land, Besê said, “My daughters also work here on the basis of this struggle. Just as my sister-in-law Fatma resist in prison, we continue her struggle here. We have our daughters and sons who have lived in prisons for more than 23 years and suffered torture. We no longer accept this persecution. International human rights courts should now fulfill their duties. The isolation against our Leader should be lifted and our children should live and have their own identities and rights on their land, not in prisons. We send our greetings to the Leader and we salute the resistance of our children in prison and express that we will continue their resistance with the strength we receive from them in all areas of life ”.

 

'They do anything to infect a virus on our children'

 

Werde Muhammed talked about their experiences. In the past, they moved to Turkey due to war. Her husband was detained and arrested in the refugee camp. After arresting her husband, they returned to  Kobanê. However, she stated that she had not received any news from her husband for three years. Stating that her husband, who was sentenced to nine years in prison, has been in detention for five years, Werdê said, “After three years, thanks to the family's efforts, we were able to hear from my husband. We talked on the phone for the first time after three years. Although he does not tell about what he lives in prison we know the condition is very bad in Turkey's prisons. A month ago, my husband caught coronavirus. There was no intervention by the state. Neither a doctor nor a medicine was given. He has not been on the phone for two weeks, as his condition worsens. They brought a visiting ban on the pretext of corona disease. But the guards and soldiers in the prison come out and enter near him. They do anything to infect the prisoners with the coronavirus. During this period, hunger strikes also started in prisons. We, as prisoners' families, will always be with them and grow their resistance until their actions reach their goals ”.

 

‘We will increase our resistance with the strength we get from the prisons’

 

Another prisoner's relative Eyşe Saydun said, ''My son Doğan is being held in Turkey's prison and was given a 36 year sentence. The living conditions in Turkey's prisons and torture get heavier day by day. All kinds of torture is being done against the prisoners. Our children started hunger strikes to break the torture and the isolation imposed upon the Leader. With the visiting ban due to the pandemic, the phone calls had been 20 minutes. But we cannot speak relax during phone calls. Since we live in Rojava, negotiations are not taking place. I know that my son has been tortured many times since he was first arrested.''

 

We send greetings to our children

 

My son has been in prison for 17 years, and my son also participated in the hunger strike that started with Leyla Güven last time. We could not speak for a long time when they were on strike. It is difficult to live in prisons without resistance. No justice in Turkey. Approaches to judicial detainees are different and judicial detainees have been released many times (In Turkey raper, killer, mafia members were released due to pandemic but political prisoners were not released...). However, people who want their own rights stay in prison for years because they are political prisoners. People have the right to claim their own rights. No state or power can prevent this. Today, our children started hunger strikes again in the prisons. We insist on demanding our rights. We will grow our resistance with the resistance of our children in the dungeon. From here, we send greetings to all of our children in prison, especially the Leader. We will always be with them. "