>Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >On day 60 of the hungerstrike of POW's in Turkey the stateforces decided >to act. Being a fascist state it only knows death and destruction as way >of reacting. > >20 prisons were stormed with use of explosions and heavy weapons. The >number of killed we dont know yet. We know of at least 4 but we expect his >number to rise > >The sickening thing is that the state claimes it did this to save lifes... > >press cuttings: > >Tuesday, 19 December, 2000, 07:45 GMT Dawn raid on Turkish prisons > >Hunger strike supporters fear new prisons will make inmates vulnerable to >abuse Turkish security forces have launched a major operation to smash >hunger strikes which have been dragging for two months. > >There were clashes and reports of casualties as police launched dawn raids >at 20 prisons across the country. > >Around 200 police officers raided a prison in Istanbul, with similar >operations took place in other jails. > >Prisoners are protesting at government plans to move them to new prisons >with small one- or three-person cells which they say would leave them >vulnerable to abuse by the prison authorities. > >Most of the prisoners are radical leftists. > >Heavy resistance > >Gunshots were heard and heavy smoke was seen rising from the roof of >Bayrampasa prison in Istanbul as security forces sealed off an area around >the prison. > >There were no immediate reports of casualties, but there appeared to be >heavy resistance from inmates. > >Altogether 20 prisons have been raided. > >Several critically ill prisoners have been already taken for hospital >treatment. > >Two hundred prisoners have been on a so-called "death fast" for 61 days, >with several hundred others taking only small amounts of water and sugar. > >Plan postponed > >The Turkish government says the change is necessary to break the influence >of organised groups within prisons. > >But is has tried to reassure the protesters that the controversial plan had >been postponed. > >Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk was quoted as saying on Sunday that >reforms would not be implemented until legal amendments are passed to allow >inmates to associate in recreational areas and to introduce civil >supervision. > >The inmates, however, have refused to end their protest despite mediation >from intellectuals and members of parliament. > >The authorities say that their well-intentioned attempts were ignored and >they had no choice but to stop death by force. > >Amnesty > >The hunger strike coincides with wrangling between the country's government >and president over plans to free nearly half the nation's prisoners. > >On Sunday the government decided to send an amnesty bill back to President >Ahmed Necdet Sezer last week for signature. > >Mr Sezer rejected the bill last week on the grounds that it was divisive >and did not serve the cause of justice. > >Some of the hunger-striking leftists would be freed under the amnesty, >which is another measure aimed at making Turkish prisons easier to control. > >Soldiers storm Turkish prisons to force end to hunger strikes > >By HARMONIE TOROS The Associated Press 12/19/00 1:50 AM > >ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -- Soldiers stormed 20 prisons throughout Turkey >early Tuesday to force more than 200 prisoners to end their two-month >hunger strike. > >A prisoners' support group, Ozgur Tayad, said two inmates had died in the >western cities of Canakkale and Usak. Inmates started to set themselves >ablaze in several prisons when the soldiers came, the group said in a >statement. > >Authorities said they had no information on inmates setting fire to >themselves, and the Interior Ministry said it had not heard of any >casualties. > >Shots were heard coming from Istanbul's Bayrampasa prison, private >television NTV reported, and clouds of gray smoke emerged from the prison. >A fire was reported in at least one other prison. > >The hunger strikes were in protest of plans to transfer inmates from >dormitories of up to 100 people into new prisons with jail cells that hold >one to three inmates. Inmates argue they would be more vulnerable to abuse >by guards in the cells. Human rights groups say torture is common in >Turkish prisons. > >Past raids on the dormitories of political prisoners have led to violent >clashes and several inmate deaths. > >The Interior Ministry said it launched operations in 20 prisons. Busloads >of paramilitary police were seen entering at about 5 a.m., and ambulances >were brought to rush inmates to hospitals. > >The ministry said operations ended with the transfer of those on hunger >strikes at six prisons. Turkey's Anatolia news agency said 26 inmates had >been brought to hospitals. > >Mediation failed to end the hunger strikes, and the health of the fasting >prisoners was rapidly deteriorating. At least 20 inmates were said to be >in critical condition after refusing food for 61 days. > >Twelve leftist inmates starved themselves to death in 1996 before the >government abandoned plans to transfer them. > >The government says it cannot control the large wards, which political >groups run like indoctrination centers. Riots and hostage-takings are not >uncommon. > >The government indefinitely postponed plans to transfer the inmates more >than a week ago, but failed to persuade the prisoners to give up their >strike. > > Copyright 2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may >not be published, > broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. > >-- >Press Agency Ozgurluk >In Support of the Revolutionary Peoples Liberation Struggle in Turkey >http://www.ozgurluk.org >DHKC: http://www.ozgurluk.org/dhkc > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for geopolitics. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
