The Commitee for Struggle Against Torture Through Isolation (IKM) fights with problems derived from the isolation and the state of isolation of prisoners. -IKM is not dependent on any political party or organisation. -It helps solving problems the präsoners suffer in Turkish and European prisons. -It fights to secure humane and dignified conditions for prisoners. -It works to establish and maintain the application of the Universal Convention of Human Rights in all the prisons around the world and especially to prevent the practice of isolation in all the countreies of the world. -It works to provide pen friends and visitiong friends for prisoners. -It takes up the task of being a body, which the families of prisoners may apply when facing a problem. -It assumes the role of informing the public. For this purpose opening information stands and reporting conditions and developments to the press and media. -It helps solving prisoners' legal problems. -It fights against prohibition of opinions and prisoners' brains being captivated by means of isolation. -In recent times the Turkish State has added new dimensions to assaults and massacres in prisons. IKM is in the process of preparing a campaign to raise the demand of the right to a life for prisoners in Turkish prisons. A priority is given to this campaign, in order not to become silent spectators in Europe to the practice of prisoners being removed from communal dormitories to isolation cells. The state intends to isolate prisoners in order to strip them from their identities, isolate, torture and massacre them. Having failed to reduce the prisoners to submission, according to the Ministry of Justice announcement, the Turkish State has launched F-Type prisons as a new assault, which dozens of them will be operational from August 2000. Convicts' response to this practice is "You will not be able to put even our dead bodies into cells!" This only indicates that there will be new massacres. The Turkish State, which already has a mass of bad reputation on prisons massacres, is preparing for a largescale massacre. Massacre manoeuvres are already being carried out in some prisons. We, as the democratic minded European and Turkish people living in Europe assume the demands of those prisoners as our own and fight to achieve these demands immediately. Convicts' demands: -Closure of all coffin-cells, -End to torture in prisons, -End to assaults against prisoners' families -Removal of obstacles before prisoners' treatments and right to a defence. -End to the aggression to turn prisoners to confessors, -End to missing persons, massacres, torture and executions.. 1984 Death Strike In 1984 a hunger strike, which turned into a death strike against the decree enforcing 'uniforms' resulted in the martyrdom of Abdullah Meral, Haydar Basbag, Mehmet Fatih Öktülmüs and Hasan Telci. After 75 days, the death strike was ended in a political victory. 21 September 1995 Izmir- Buca Massacre On 21 September 1995, thousands of soldiers and special teams officers attacked with gas bombs, sledgehammers, pressurised water, iron bars, planks of wood and truncheons. After a 4-hour long assault and resistance three prisoners; Turhan Kilic, Yusuf Bag and Ugur Sariaslan were murdered and dozers of prisoners were seriously injured. 4 January 1996 Istanbul-Umraniye Massacre On 4 January 1996, the state attempted another massacre, 4 months after the Buca incident. Whilst 42 prisoners were injured, of which 6 of them were in serious condition, 4 prisoners, including Abdulmecit Seckin, Orhan Özen, Riza Boybas were murdered and dozens of prisoners were injured. Gultekin Beyhan, one of the injured, later died in the hospital. 1996 Death Strike In 1996 hundreds of prisoners started a death hunger strike against the 6 Maz Decree, which ordered isolation cells. During the 69 days death strike; Aygün Ugur, Altan Berdan Kerimgiller, Ilginc Özkeskin, Hüseyin Demircioglu, Ali Ayata, Müjdat Yanat, Ayce Idil Erkmen, Tahsin Yilmaz, Yemliha Kaya, Hicabi Kücük, Osman Akgün and Hayati Can were martyret. The death srtike resulted in victory. 24 September 1996 Diyarbakir Massacre Although the rigts were won the '96 death strike at the cost of 12 human lives, only after a few months, the state caried out a new massacre in Diyarbakir on 24 September, weher 10 prisoners lost theri lives. 26 September 1999 Ulucanlar Massacre On 26 september 1999, the security forces used an excuse concerning a demand to an additional dormitory, and attacked with bombs, sledge hammers, trunchons, the strong acids, which were specifically poured on the faces of prisoners, iron bars, and having not been satisfied with these, deliberately aimed at ptisoners and murdered 12 people with their weapons. In this massacre Abuzer Cat, Ahmet Sarvan, Ismet Kavak- lioglu, Aziz Dönmez, Halil Türker, Mahir Emsalsiz, Nevzat Cifci, Zafer Kirbiyik, On- der Gencaslan and Umit Altintas were martyred. Silent Death Especially after the 12 September military coup, the Republic of Turkey has murdered dozens of massacres and injured hunderds. Between 1994-96 more than 50 prisoners have lost their lives düe to medical intervention been prevented. Ilhan Yelkovan Death Strike in 1999 Ilhan Yelkovan, who was placed in an isolation cell in Hamburg, Germany, went on a 63 days long death strike and his demands were accepted. "REVOLUTIONARY PRISONNERS ARE OUR PRIDE" "WE WILL NOT ALLOW THE CHILDREN OF PEOPLE TO BE MASSACRED" We call upon all those revolutionary and democratic minded indiviuals and institutions, wich claim to be the defenders of human dignity to own up the prisoners and be in solidarity with us. We do not believe anybody, who calls themselves human beings, would allow themselves to become silent spectators of the massacres in prisons. All the sensitive epople, associations of Human Rights, lawyers, Doctors, Joutnalists, Artists, International Organisations, Intellectuals, Democratic Institutions, Clergymen.. WHAT YOU CAN DO: -Visit prisoners.. -Send cards and letters to prisonres.. -Make donations to the IKM account to support prisoners.. -Give material sopport to enabel prisoners to subscribe to newspapers.. -You can send books to meet prisoners` cultural needs.. We call upon all the publishing companies sensitive to this matter to donate books.. -In order to enable prisoners to keep in rouch with the outside you can send them cards, telehone cards ete.. -Due to prisoners` conditions of isolation and hunger strikes, they have medical problems. As medical institutions you can make applications to secure their medical treatments.. -Journalist, you can open your columns to the opinions of political prisoners in Europe and report the reasons why they are being put into isolation cells.. -Lewyers and Advocates' Associations; In Turkey, prisoners are prohibited from receiving publications, magazines, books, treatment, families and freiends visits.. You can visit prisoners and get a first hand account about their problems.. You can say: 'No' to illegal practices. You can appeal to higher courts.. You can take and follow up prisoners' cases and act as lawyers in cases concerning Human Rights Court.. You can participate in their hearings as observers.. -Kurtulus and Vatan magazines, which are legally published in Turkey and Germany, are not being given to Nuri Eryuksel, who is under arrest in Bremen prison. The reason is that,they were PROHIBITED rublications. - In addition to that, although he has subseribed to Hurriyet daily, he is not being given the paper for the same reason. NURI ERYUKSEL sought political asylum in Germany and obtained a passport. But because he did not give up his political identity, he is being prosecuted. Eryuksel stayed in Turkish prisons for 10 years, prosecuted, fought against fascism and lost his eyes in this struggle. He cannot read books and newspapers on his own. He needs someone to help him read. This demand of his was also refused. We call upon doctors, lawyers, journalists, clergymen to act against this illegal, arbitrary and ati-democratic practice and initiate legal procedures.. -129A investigations are carried out only against Turkey's defenders of Human Rights and Democrats.. We call upon all the lawyers and organisations of Human Rights to act against it. -We call upan all the international, anti-imperialist organisationsinto solidarity with political prisoners and organise under a mutual organisationto fight against torture through isolations.. -We call upon all the imams, priests, clergymen, mosgues, churches, Alevi associations to be in solidarity with prisoners in cells and own up to their problems.. Own up to prisoners' problems. Let us not be silent. Even the smallest initiative, a little help can be a light in tihe isolated life of a prisoner. Let us not abandon them to solitude.. Let us become window from their cells to the outside world.. contact: Emine Tekin [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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