19th January 2000
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL BUILDING OCCUPIED
WE PROTEST AGAINST THE GERMAN COURTS DENYING FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, AND IN
ORDER TO BE IN SOLIDARITY WITH ILHAN YELKUVAN WE ARE ON HUNGER STRIKE SINCE
16TH JANUARY 2000.
TODAY IS THE 51ST DAY OF ILHAN YELKUVAN'S DEATH FAST.
We have appealed to Amnesty International to raise this issue. We have
received their reply. They say that "your query appears to fall outside the
mandate of Amnesty International." !!!
Ilhan Yelkuvan has been in solitary confinement because the German
authorities fear that if he is allowed to communicate with other prisoners
he might influence them. This means that he is not allowed freedom of
expression.
Does freedom of expression fall outside the mandate of Amnesty
International?
We occupied Amnesty International's central office in London for 3 hours
to impress on them the seriousness of Ilhan's situation.
Our actions will continue until all deaf ears can hear, blind eyes can see
and the mute develop the power of speech.
FREEDOM OF THOUGHT FOR ILHAN YELKUVAN!
END ILHAN YELKUVAN'S SOLITARY CONFINEMENT!
LET'S NOT LEAVE ILHAN YELKUVAN TO DIE!
THE ILHAN YELKUVAN SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE
BRITAIN
FREEDOM OF THOUGHT FOR ILHAN YELKUVAN!
TODAY IS THE 51TH DAY OF HIS DEATH FASTIn order to support fascism in
Turkey, German state is telling Ilhan Yelkuvan to change his thoughts.
On the other hand, Ilhan says "I would rather die than change my thoughts"
Ilhan Yelkuvan was sentenced to 3 years and 9 months in Turkey because he
wants an independent, democratic and free Turkey. He came to Germany in
1996 and sought political asylum. And he never promised the German state
that he would renege on his political identity and change his thoughts.
Germany wants us to forget our own identity, culture and motherland and
turn us into imitation Germans. For the last 30 years they called us
"black heads", they exploited and used us. Our children were pushed into
drug addiction. They looked down on us and when they were finished with us,
we were deported.
Ilhan Yelkuvan, on the other hand, did not ignore the problems our people
have in Germany and in Turkey. He did not forget his motherland, village,
family, children and his entire people. He always stood by his people
against starvation, poverty, injustice, contra-guerrillas, disappearances,
massacres and fascism.
He could have forgotten his people like others have and become merely a
selfish immigrant who chooses to live only for his own sake.
But he did not choose this.
He did not turn his back on his people and country.
He did not give up his thoughts.
The German state wants to create citizens who are silent, do not struggle
for their rights and are imitation Germans. Therefore it launches attacks
to destroy revolutionaries like Ilhan as well as the ideas that they hold.
It imprisons dozens of revolutionaries and sees them as potential
criminals.
Ilhan's only crime was to love his people and country so much that he was
prepared to die.
The German state supports fascism in Turkey by selling it chemical weapons
and Leopard tanks. It is a lie that there is democracy in Germany and the
German state is law abiding. In order to support fascism, Germany put
Ilhan in solitary confinement.
For the last 10 months, llhan Yelkuvan has been alone in a cell in Hamburg
prison, unable to talk to other prisoners. He is only allowed to take his
exercise period at 4.00 in the morning to prevent him seeing the other
prisoners. When he was approaching the 40th day of his hunger strike, he
was subjected to a brutal search on the way to exercise and all his pockets
were ripped off. By using the excuse of searching his cell, all his CDs
were broken and his own drawings and writing implements were confiscated.
One of his legal representatives was arbitrarily dismissed by the court.
For all these reasons, Ilhan Yelkuvan has been on an unlimited hunger
strike since 30th November 1999 and on 13th January 2000 he turned this
into a Death Fast.
His demands are to have the same rights that the other prisoners have and
be allowed out of solitary confinement.
To support Ilhan Yelkuvan's Death Fast;
IN GERMANY
ALI EKTI: (Hamburg Prison, DHKP-C trial) On unlimited hunger strike since
5th December 1999.
ERDOGAN CAKIR: (Aachen Prison, DHKP-C trial) On unlimited hunger strike
since 7th December 1999. Since 6th January 2000 the prison authorities have
denied him sugar. He suffered internal bleeding in the stomach because of
only being able to take water. His body is starting to reject water. His
condition of health is critical.
MESUT DEMIREL: (Hamburg Prison, DHKP-C trial) He was on hunger strike
between 8 and 18th December 1999. Since 3rd January 2000 he is on an
unlimited hunger strike.
INAN ALTUN: (Frankfurt Prison, DHKP-C trial) On unlimited hunger strike
since 16th December 1999.
AKIN AKSOY: (Frankfurt Prison, DHKP-C trial) On unlimited hunger strike
since 16th December 1999.
MEHMET ALI URLUDAG: (Dortmund Prison, DHKP-C trial) On unlimited hunger
strike since 25th December 1999.
NIHAT DURMUS: (Hamburg Prison, PKK trial) On unlimited hunger strike since
19th December 1999.
IHSAN ERSOY: (Berlin Prison, common law prisoner) On unlimited hunger
strike since 27th December 1999.
OSMAN KOCAKAFA: (Hamburg Prison, common law prisoner) He was on support
hunger strike for 8 days since 3rd January 2000.
IRFAN GUVEN: (Hamburg Prison, common law prisoner) He was on support hunger
strike for 8 days since 3rd January 2000.
IMAM HUR: (Hamburg Prison) On unlimited hunger strike since 5th January
2000.
ALI KAYA and another common law prisoner are on unlimited hunger strike in
Hamburg Prison.
IN BELGIUM
FEHRIYE ERDAL, KAYA SAZ and MUSA ASOGLU (DHKP-C trial) They are on a
week-long support hunger strike starting 14th January 2000.
IN FRANCE
SEFIK SARIKAYA, DOGAN AYDIN, EMRAH DEMIR, ALI AYYILDIZ, ERDAL KOCAMER,
ISMAIL SENER, EROL GUNES and VELI BAHSI ( DHKP-C trial) are on a week-long
support hunger strike.
IN TURKEY
1000 Political prisoners of DHKP-C are on a warning hunger strike of
3-days' duration starting 11th January 2000.
Political prisoners of TKP-ML and TKP(ML) are on a warning strike of
2-days' duration starting 11th January 2000.
Political prisoners of TKEP-L in Sagmalcilar (Istanbul) Prison are on a
2-day support long hunger strike.
FREEDOM OF THOUGHT FOR ILHAN YELKUVAN!
END ILHAN YELKUVAN'S SOLITARY CONFINEMENT!
LET'S NOT LEAVE ILHAN YELKUVAN TO DIE!
WE CALL UPON ALL THOSE WHO DEMAND FREEDOM OF THOUGHT TO SEND PROTEST
MESSAGES TO THE GERMAN AUTHORITIES AND SOLIDARITY LETTERS TO ILHAN
YELKUVAN.
Court, Fax: +49 40 428 433555
Ministry of Internal Affairs, Fax: +49 1888 6812926
Ministry of Justice, Fax: +49 1888 5824525
Ilhan Yelkuvan
UHA HamburgHolstenglacis 3-5
20355 Hamburg
Germany
WHAT IS SOLITARY CONFINEMENT?
Ilhan Yelkuvan can describe it:
"My cell is in the most remote corner of the prison where you can see no
sunlight, nor can you hear any other voice. I am kept in a space just big
enough for my bed. In the neighbouring cells are lodged psychopaths who
spend the whole day screaming until by nightfall they are too tired to
scream anymore. I was deliberately put in amongst them.
Despite my cell being in the basement there are at least four curtains in
the window like glass at least a century old, a sheet of perforated metal,
an iron curtain,�etc.!
Even my meals and other needs are provided by the same guards all the time.
It is forbidden for me to see anyone else. On every second day my cell is
searched so thoroughly that it is turned upside down. All my defence
documents and personal items are plundered.
Some nights at identical intervals a very loud gong is sounded. These
sounds remind me of Chinese water torture.
As it is mentioned in the medical report, because of the solitary
confinement, I developed an infection of the inner ear. Sometimes I was
completely unable to concentrate�"
