Beritan Canözer

 

İSTANBUL - Pointing that the relation between the pressures in prisons and the isolation imposed on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, Dungeon Solidarity Initiative Co-President Süreyya Aydın said, “There are families, who don’t know their prisoner children are in which prison, and couldn’t get any news about them. Kurdish people should protect their values as soon as possible.”

 

Rights violations and arbitrary treatments increasingly continue to increase in prisons of Turkey and Kurdistan. The emergency decree (OHAL) is used as a pretext for restricting the life conditions of the prisoners and tries to isolate meeting and communication penalties from the outside. The hunger strike launched by female prisoners in Elazığ Prison against the pressure policies has entered the 45th day. Dungeon Solidarity Initiative Co-President Süreyya Aydın criticized the policies that are implied in prisons and gave some information about the prisoners’ conditions.

 

‘The prisoner tries to resist’

 

Starting her talking saying, “It is not time to talk, but to do something" Süreyya, stated that political prisoners subjected to torture and abuse in many prisons particularly in Elazığ Prison. Süreyya puts in order the arbitrary treatments as follows: “Cameras are put in the wards, cell punishments are given, they want to counts heads by remaining standing and prisoners are being imposed on September 12 fascism.” “The prisoners try to resist with hunger strike in these restrain and harsh conditions in prisons.” Süreyya also added that the prison guardians imposed “Don’t speak Kurdish, speak Turkish” on families gone to meeting in some prisons. She emphasized, "The main reason for all of these happenings is that the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan is in isolation."

 

‘The isolation affected all processes

 

Stating that Abdullah Öcalan's isolation is affecting every aspect of life, especially in prisons, Süreyya said, "Isolation affects all events and processes in the country. Mostly it affects prisons. Prisons are almost transformed into house of torture. Every day a relative of prisoner comes to us and informs us that she/he has been beaten in the prison. There are families who have not heard any news from their prisoners for months, and don’t even know their prisoners are in which prison. Kurdish people should protect their values as soon as possible. The prisoners are one of our greatest values, and we have to continue to resist from outside against what has been done them inside.”

 

‘Everyone should do something’

 

Saying they are trying to reach prisoners and prisoners’ relatives, Süreyya, said, “In fact, we are directly involved but everyone can put the conditions in prisons on the agenda by reaching the prisoner families they know and know in which city they stay. They can give information about prisoners’ families that we couldn’t reach them. There are great troubles and we can overcome these troubles together”.

 

‘We need to be voice of the prisoners’

 

Süreyya pointed out that the size of the resistance will increase if the pressures don’t end, said, “The prison administration does not meet the prisoners. They are receiving response of 'rejection' when the prisoners want to talk to the administration. Cell life is being imposed even in wards, with the pretext of emergency decree (OHAL). This is even more challenging for female prisoners. We are responsible for being the voice of the prisoners in outside.”