Udenrigsudvalget 2016-17
URU Alm.del Bilag 153
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Kongreya Neteweyî ya Kurdistanê
Kurdistan National Congress
Congrès National du Kurdistan
1999
KNK
Rue Jean Stas 41, 1060 Bruxelles Tel : 00 32 2 647 30 84
Home page :
www.kongrakurdistan.net
E-Mail :
[email protected]
(Brussels, 08.04.2017)
AN URGENT DOSSIER
HUNGER STRIKE BY POLITICAL PRISONERS IN
TURKEY
➢
The lives of tens of political prisoners are under threat.
➢
Urgent call to all humanitarian associations and international institutions
➢
Any delayed reaction will cost the lives of political prisoners in Turkish
Prisons
➢
The hunger strike is in its 53
rd
day
➢
Every minute counts
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 URU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 153: Henvendelse af 12/4-17 fra FEY-KURD (Sammenslutningen af Kurdiske Foreninger i Danmark) om sultestrejke for de politiske fanger i tyrkiske fængsler
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The hunger strikes in prisons across Turkey demanding an end to systematic rights violations
continue. 168 prisoners in 18 prisons are joining the hunger strike which has entered day 53
in Şakran Prison in İzmir
province.
➢
Every minute counts
Indefinite-Irreversible Hunger Strike is in its 47th day
Date
Prison
Prisoners
Day
15.02.2017
15.02.2017
22.02.2017
23.02.2017
01.03.2017
08.03.2017
15.03.2017
22.03.2017
27.03.2017
01.04.2017
03.04.2017
03.04.2017
04.04.2017
05.04.2017
05.04.2017
Şarkan T2
Şarkan T3
Şarkan Women’s
Ward
Sincan
Women’s
Ward.
Şarkan T4
Tekirdağ T1
Tarsus Women’s
Ward
Şarkan T4
Bolu F Type
Hatay F Type
Sincan Women`s
Ward
Silivri No.5 Type
Kepsut
Menemen
Bandırma T Type
8
5
5
7
8
10
5
7
10
11
9
10
6
4
21
53
53
45
44
38
31
24
17
12
7
8
8
7
6
6
Families of prisoners have started
reversible hunger strike in İzmir province to draw
attention to the condition of prisoners who are on hunger strike for 53 days.
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 URU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 153: Henvendelse af 12/4-17 fra FEY-KURD (Sammenslutningen af Kurdiske Foreninger i Danmark) om sultestrejke for de politiske fanger i tyrkiske fængsler
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Peace Mothers Assembly member Medine Kaymaz spoke on behalf of the hunger strike participants, saying
the followings;
"We do not want a death to occur in prisons. Erdoğan became president but he continues his
cruelty. Now that we do not accept his atrocities, how could we expect those in prison to accept it? We will
never give up on our children. We stand by their resistance and we salute their struggle."
An unprecedented system of isolation and torture is taking place in Turkish
prisons
``We do not want our
children die for a
basic demand. Their
demand is ours
!
``Hundreds of
political prisoners
are on an indefinite-
irreversible hunger
strike in several
Turkish prisons.
Their aim is to
condemn Turkey’s
fascist and racist
system
,
to protest
the arbitrary practices of the prison administration and the increasing violations of their rights. The
isolation of all political prisoners and especially that of Kurdish People's Leader, Abdullah
OCALAN, has been expanded to include all prisons.
The hunger strike was launched at the
İzmir Aliağa Şakran Prison, Edirne F
-Type Closed Prison,
Sincan Women's Closed Prison, Sirnak Closed Prison, Urfa-Hilwan Closed Prison,
and
Wan
Prison.
The Human Rights Association (IHD) Commission on Prisons report on the increasing human
rights violations
in Turkey’s prisons 50-person
delegation will conduct an investigation in 72
prisons across the country and report on the violations of prisoners' rights. The reporting is expected
to be finalized by June.
THE DEMANDS OF THE PRISONERS
➢
To lift the ongoing State of Emergency (OHAL) process.
➢
To resume political negotiations with the Kurdish movement.
➢
To end the isolation of all political prisoners, especially that of Kurdish People's Leader,
➢
➢
➢
➢
➢
➢
➢
➢
➢
Cessation of violation of prisoners’ rights.
Abdullah Ocalan.
An end to repression in prison.
An end to mass raids of prison wards.
To enable communication between wards.
Permission of social activities in prisons.
The removal of restriction on books.
Cessation of harassment by wardens during family visitations.
Provision for the treatment of ill prisoners.
The provision of conditions for a free conversation.
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PKK and PAJK prisoners start hunger strike
Political prisoners of PAJK (Kurdistan Women's Liberation Party) and PKK (Kurdistan Workers'
Party) in Turkey’s prisons
started a hunger strike on 7 February.
Deniz Kaya of PKK and PAJK prisoners stated
"The AKP is trying to intimidate the opposition through its emergency decrees, arrests, detentions,
and normalization of torture. Parliamentarians, mayors, academics and journalists are arrested,
villages are burnt, houses are destroyed, and people are displaced and massacred. The first place
where the state of emergency coup regime was implemented was the İmralı High Security Prison.
An unprecedented system of isolation and torture is taking place there. The isolation of Kurdish
People's Leader Abdullah Ocalan is being expanded over to all prisons. Our Leader and the
comrades that are in the same jail with him are unable to meet with their families or lawyer, and
are even prohibited from writing a letter.
The people put in prison have no life guarantees. Every day, our friends that are exiled from one
prison to another are searched naked and tortured. Our belongings are seized during the raids on
our cells and the letters we write in Kurdish are not sent as they are labelled 'unknown language.'
Cameras are placed in our cells in a way that violates our living spaces, and we are forced to stand
on attention during the roll-calls and wear name badges just like during the September 12 coup.
The fascist AKP-MHP blo
c seeks to consolidate their dictatorship by making Erdoğan president
through a referendum. As the PKK and PAJK prisoners, we state that we will continue to reject this
fascist and racist system and put up resistance. We call upon all social groups to say 'NO' during
the referendum enforced by the AKP-MHP alliance and to enhance the resistance at all fronts."
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Prisoners on hunger strike: Victory will be of those resisting
Political prisoners who have been on a continuing hunger strike for the past 43 days stated that they
will play their historic role in the current process, vowing that: “Those
who resist will have
victory.”
The statement underlined that policies of the AKP government aimed to condemn the Kurdish
people to statelessness during the reconstruction of the region as it sustained and institutionalized
fascism in Turkey and North Kurdistan.
The statement said all manners of repression, violence and rights violations that target human
dignity across the country are also being carried out in prisons which have become torture centres
where the intention is to break the resistance and the will of prisoners.
The statement underlined that: "The indefinite-irreversible
hunger strike in Şakran, Sincan, Edirne
and Van has continued for 30 days, while the hunger strike continues in all other prisons since 15
March. We are aware of the fact that the isolation imposed
on our Leader in İmralı stands at the
center of all these practices in prisons. For this reason, the isolation must be stopped in order for all
the policies of repression, torture and denial to end.
We must start by saying “No” to these policies.
With over 10 thousand prisoners in jails, we believe that we can play an historic role as a major
force of resistance on this earth where we share life and meaning with our Leader. Those who resist
and fight for the truth will have victory.”
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 URU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 153: Henvendelse af 12/4-17 fra FEY-KURD (Sammenslutningen af Kurdiske Foreninger i Danmark) om sultestrejke for de politiske fanger i tyrkiske fængsler
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Health of political prisoners on hunger strike deteriorates
The hunger strikes in İzmir Aliağa Şakran Prison is in its 40th day, Edirne F-Type
Closed in its 31st
day, Sincan Women's Closed Prison in its 31st day, and Van Prison in its 18th day. In the
meantime, the hunger strike that was launched in all prisons on March 15 with the same demands
has entered its 11th day.
Sincan
7 women Sosin Şengül, Jiyan Ateş, Nilüfer Şahin, Fatma Gökhan, Leyla Uyanık, Şivekar Ataş and
Rihan Kavak launched a their strike at Sincan Women's Closed Prison in Ankara on February 23.
Human Rights Association (IHD) Ankara Branch said;
“Lawyers from our Prisons Commission
have periodically visited these prisoners upon the application of their families who are concerned
over their safety of life.”
In its report, IHD drew attention to the situation of prisoners on hunger strike and gave the
following details:
•
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•
“Sosin Şengül's blood pressure is irregular and she has lost 4 pounds.
Jiyan Ateş has constantly low blood pressure and lost 4 pounds.
Nilüfer Şahin's blood pressure is 7-8
and she has lost 5 pounds.
Fatma Gökhan's blood pressure is 7-8 and she has lost 3.5 pounds.
Leyla Uyanık has low blood pressure and lost 3 pounds.
Şivekar Ataş has low blood pressure and lost 4 pounds.
Rihan Kavak has low blood pressure and lost 4 pounds.”
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 URU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 153: Henvendelse af 12/4-17 fra FEY-KURD (Sammenslutningen af Kurdiske Foreninger i Danmark) om sultestrejke for de politiske fanger i tyrkiske fængsler
ŞARKAN
Zana Yaktın, İhsan Bakaç, Özgür Güçlü, and Aslan İlhan continue their
strike in the T3 Closed
section.
Eren Tekin, Sinan Ekmekçi, Mustafa Akar, Cengiz Doğan, Necdet Kaya, Erhan Aryüz, Murat
Duman and Kasım Özdemir continue their strike in the T2 section.
The names of the prisoners in T4 section that later joined the hunger strike
are: Nayif Yargın, Veysi
Kaya, Yusuf Özdemir, Mıhamed Bru, Abdullah Aksu, Şivan Bilik, Roni Yavuz, and Ahmed Azad
Hacihamır.
The female prisoners that joined the hunger strike on February 25 are: Cihan Asi, Derya Moray,
Meryem Söylemez, Hürriyet Doğan and Mahsume Şedal.
The names of 5 of the 7 prisoners at T4 that joined the hunger strike on March 22 are: Hasan
Kasım, Enver Ahmet, Serkan Şahin, Mehmen Emin Dağ and Devran Makas.
EDIRNE
The hunger strike at Edirne F-Type Closed Prison is in its 31st day with the participation of Sami
Geylani, Ali Kurt, Mazlum Bataray, Zerdeşt Oduncu, Ramazan Kizildağ, Enver Baysal, Bülent
Öztürk, İsmail Derviş, Hüseyin Bilecan, İbrahim Nilufer, Erdal Emeç, Î. Wezîr Abbasovich, Sheikh
Davut Başqan, Mehmet Zahit Şahin, Yahya
Özman and Necat Öztekin.
VAN
The hunger strike in Van Prison is in its 18th day. The prisoners joining the hunger strike here are
reported to experience weight loss and worsening health conditions.
SİLİVRİ
Ömer Çelik, jailed editor of the Dicle News Agency (DİHA) which was shut down by the
government, sent a letter from Silivri No.5 Type L Closed Prison where he is held, and stated that
10 prisoners in Silivri Prison have also started an indefinite-irreversible hunger strike as of April 5.
ERZİNCAN
Prisoners held in Erzincan Type T Closed Prison have also launched an indefinite-irreversible
hunger strike starting from March 15.
CEYHAN
Two prisoners held in Ceyhan Type M Closed Prison have announced going on indefinite-
irreversible hunger strike in protest at the torture in prisons.
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70 prisoners in Van including those on hunger strike are sent to other
jails
70 prisoners in Van T-Type Closed Prison have been sent to other prisons on 16 March. These
include 10 prisoners who went on the indefinite-irreversible hunger strike on 8 March. The reason
for the forced transfer of the inmates, and to which prison they have been sent, was not disclosed.
The names of the 10 prisoners on hunger strike are: Gani Kaya, Mahsun Yüksekdağ, Dilgeş Yaşar,
İlyas Yorgun, Mesut Yabalak, Abdullah Kaya, Yunus Konak, Kerem Karagöz, İsmail Berke, Taner
Aslan.
Families of prisoners on the strike for 43 days call for support
The hunger strike launched in Şakran Prison entered its 42nd day on Tuesday 28 March. The
families of the strikers warned that they are entering a critical period and called for public
awareness.
İzmir
Political prisoners in İzmir’s Aliağa Şakran Prison
launched their strike on February 15 with the
demand that “the isolation imposed upon the Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan be lifted
and severe rights violations in the prison end”. Their strike entered its 42nd day on Tuesday 28
March.
With every passing day, torture and rights violations increase in the prison and healthy information
cannot be obtained. In the past week, prisoners in section T3 had their wards raided and themselves
were being battered.
Health of the prisoners on the strike are
deteriorating every day as the prison administration doesn’t
provide them with vitamin B1 vital for their health.
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 URU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 153: Henvendelse af 12/4-17 fra FEY-KURD (Sammenslutningen af Kurdiske Foreninger i Danmark) om sultestrejke for de politiske fanger i tyrkiske fængsler
The start of weight loss
Nusvet Üzrek, the aunt
of a hunger striker, Zana Yaktın, said that Yaktın has lost a lot of weight,
while all prisoners are entering a critical period. Stressing support for the resistance in prison, Üzrek
said: “Their health is deteriorating. There are no improvements in the prison
conditions yet.
Everything is getting worse. They should be supported. Whenever we go to visit, we are also
subjected to pressure and insults. That place is not a prison, it’s a torture camp. They want there to
be no visitors. The last time we visited, Zana had lost a lot of weight. Their situation is approaching
an irreversible point. They are getting worse. They can’t communicate among themselves because
they are in separate sections. But the situation in other sections is also very bad. The torture is
unimaginable.”
“I couldn’t pull myself together when I saw my son”
A hunger striker, Özkan Yaşar’s mother, Hazal Yaşar, said her son lost a lot of weight and added:
“They are under constant torture. This had been going on for a long time. We are also subjected
to
torture when we go for visits. They are doing all they can to keep us from visiting. They want to
isolate our children. When I visited, I couldn’t recognize my son. He had lost so much weight. He
talked to us, he tried to laugh. I recognized his teeth when he smiled. It was just his teeth. My child
has wasted away. Two of his friends helped him into the visiting booth. He couldn’t even walk. I
couldn’t pull myself together when I saw him. His condition is very bad. They are determined to
resist.
So we should support them.”
“Built for torture”
Çiçek Aydın stated that they are subjected to insults and mistreatment even when she goes to visit
her husband and added: “Something must be done about this prison. We can’t explain to people
what kind of place this is. Only those who have been there understand. It was built as a torture
center. The prisoners who are battered are also facing communication bans. They are constantly
issuing us fines so we don’t go for visits. I have been going to prisons for 24
years, but this is the
first time I have seen such a bad place. The hunger strike continues. This period has seen an
increase in pressure and torture. We must speak out. The situation is horrible.”
“A committee should go and inspect urgently”
İzmir Solidarity
with the Prisons Initiative chair, Selma Altan, said the hunger strikers have passed
the critical phase and have started to suffer irreversible damage, and called on the public and NGOs
to “speak out”. Altan said that the prisoners are subjected to severe
pressure, torture and rights
violations and added: “The conditions in Şakran Prison are like torture camps. There is an
incredible torture. Each section’s warden employs different torture techniques. The hunger strikers
are in critical condition now. There are people who have lost 10 kilos. They are entering the period
of irreversible damage. An independent committee should go in and inspect. Let’s speak out, or it
will be so much worse.”
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Some names of the hunger strikers are as follows:
T3 Closed Section:
Zana Yaktın, İhsan Bakaç, Özgür Güçlü, Aslan İlhan.
T2 Closed Section: Eren Tekin, Sinan Ekmekçi, Mustafa Akar, Cengiz Doğan, Necdet Kaya, Erhan
Aryüz, Murat Duman, Kasım Özdemir
T4 Closed Section: Nayif Yargın, Veysi Kaya, Yusuf Özdemir, Mıhamed Bru,
Abdullah Aksu,
Şivan Bilik, Roni Yavuz, Ahmed Azad Hacihamır, Hasan Kasım, Enver Ahmet, Serkan Şahin,
Mehmen Emin Dağ, Devran Makas.
Names of prisoners who joined the hunger strike on February 25 are: Cihan Asi, Derya Moray,
Meryem Söylemez, Hürriyet Doğan and Mahsume Şedal.
The report
İzmir Solidarity with the Dungeons Initiative has prepared a report on the rights violations of the
prisoners on hunger strike in Aliağa Şakran Prison. According to the report:
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There is a strict isolation implemented. The prisoners
don’t see each other in the yard.
The rollcall is done while standing up.
The wards are overcrowded, the beds are not sufficient. There are 15 to 20 people in 10-person
wards. Wards are stuffier due to overcrowding.
The prisoners are forced to remove their shoes when they go out to the yard.
Medical needs are met either very late or aren’t met at all. The prisoners are forced to make doctor’s
visits in handcuffs.
Social areas have been banned, including the library.
Books have been limited. The books
that aren’t normally banned have been banned by the prison
education institution. They have even withheld an atlas because “it is printed in too much detail”. A
dictionary has been banned for being too thick.
The prisoners who danced to a Kurdish song have received punishment in solitary confinement in
Şakran Type T Prison No: 2.
The administration has started confiscating letters.
The prisoners are forced to wear name tags with the word “terrorist” on them. Those who refuse to
wear it are banned from meeting with their families or using the telephone.
The prisoners are forced to walk in a single line even when they go to visiting area.
During open visits, 4 or 5 guards walk around between the tables and harass the prisoners and the
visitors. Prisoners protested this practice on February 7 during an open visit, and the administration
ended the visit in 10 minutes.
In Şakran Children’s Ward, 6 children were severely tortured in January. The pretext was that they
spoke in Kurdish among themselves. One of the children does not know Turkish.
A previously given right, the “reward visit”, has been removed
without explanation. With this,
prisoners whose families lived far away could meet with them for 2 to 3 hours.
The İzmir Governorate Human Rights Watch Committee visited the prison and met with prisoners
and the administration. Four days later, the pressure increased. The condition of sick prisoners is
even worse. Prisoner Cengiz Eker should be given an angiography, but he has not even been referred
to a doctor.
The situation in the prisons has not been addressed even though legal and administrative ways have
been employed.
The prisoners have these demands: The lifting of the isolation imposed upon PKK Leader, Abdullah
Ocalan, his freedom, political prisoners’ freedom and the removal of degrading practices.
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