İZMİR - On the 200th day of the hunger strike, the relatives of the prisoners and rights defenders called out to the public, the Ministry of Justice and prosecutors and demanded more responsibility.

 

The indefinite alternating hunger strikes launched in prisons on November 27, 2020, against the isolation practices that spread to all prisons and society through PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and those who stayed with him in İmralı High-Security F Type Closed Prison, have entered their 200th day. Rights defenders and politicians are calling on the democratic society and the Chief Public Prosecutor to turn their faces to prisons against the hunger strikes that continue with the demand to start talks with Abdullah Öcalan, to regain his physical freedom and to end the violations of rights in prisons.

 

‘The demands of the prisoners are extremely humane’

 

Selma Altan from the Aegean Association of Prisoners and Families of Convicts (Ege-TUHAYDER): ‘’Prisoners have started an indefinite-alternating hunger strike since December 27, 2020, following the deepening of the isolation that started in İmralı with the reflection of this fascist power in the dungeons. Their demands are to end the isolation on Öcalan, which gradually spreads to all prisons, and to end the violations of rights. Extremely human desires. But the government and a large part of the society remain blind and deaf to this. In the past, hunger strikes were held against various rights violations. A lot of coffins have come out of prisons. It is heading there now. The state never hears the voices of the prisoners. Every humanitarian segment needs to be more sensitive and give voice about this issue. In particular, the state ignores this issue. What we want is for everyone to hear the voices and demands of the prisoners. This is a human and conscientious responsibility. Let's hear their voices and turn our faces to the dungeons.’’

 

‘We do not want any more losses’

 

Relative of the prisoner Nilay Güleser: ‘’What they want is the end of the oppression and isolation on them. There have been losses in the past as well, and as the families of the prisoners, we do not want them to happen again. We want to make our voices heard. We call the authorities. We hope that requests for improvement in the situation of lifting the isolation in prisons will be taken into account.’’

 

‘Hunger strike was repeated because no solution was found for isolation’

 

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Konak District Co-chair Hayat İzgi: ‘’There is a great isolation in Imrali and therefore hunger strikes have started. It's been exactly 200 days. They have nothing but their bodies in their hands. In the last hunger strike, nothing was done about the isolation. That's why the isolation continues today. We want the public to pay attention to this hunger strike and listen to the hunger strikers. The hearts of mothers will not be burned once again.’’

 

‘The reasons for the strike must be understood correctly’

 

HDP Bayraklı District Co-Chair Ayşe Sılık: ‘’What they say and what they want should be listened to. They are already in prison and have nothing on their hands. They can only react by laying their bodies on starvation. You should listen to what they want. They want a dialogue to be established and talks with Imrali to be started. They want this for everyone. We cannot stand hunger even for a day. It is necessary to understand why they are in hunger strike.’’

 

Responsibility falls to the public, the ministry, and the Chief Public Prosecutor

 

Eylem Zengin, member of the Human Rights Association (İHD) İzmir Branch Prison Commission: ‘’Prisoners impose various disciplinary punishments on prisoners every time they go on strike due to hunger strike. This may be an activity ban for a month, sometimes for 3 months. As İHD, we regularly monitor prisons. We also make reports and share them periodically. At this point, responsibility falls on the Ministry of Justice and prison administrations, and therefore on the Chief Public Prosecutors. But unfortunately, prisoners are not addressed in terms of the ministry, prison administration or prosecutor's office, and their demands are not fulfilled.

 

They enter alternately, this is relatively better than the non-alternating hunger strike, but in some prisons, the third round has been completed, in others the fourth round. Although rotation, the health of prisoners is under threat, especially due to Covid-19. The prison does not give the prisoners the vitamin B-1 that the prisoners get by paying their own, so health professionals say that they should take vitamin D in addition to vitamin B-1 due to Covid-19. However, they do not even give vitamin B, let alone vitamin D. Therefore, their right to life is under threat. Unfortunately, prisons, as always, are the invisible face of this society. There is a hunger strike going on. Unfortunately, most of society is not aware of this. We call on the Ministry of Justice and the democratic public to lay claim to the hunger strikers.’’