From: "Dawn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: 6 Sep 2001 19:40:00 -0000 Subject: [pttp] The Political Prisoners of Turkey Fight on! The Political Prisoners of Turkey Fight on! It will soon be one year since 20 October 2000 when the political prisoners of Turkey launched their militant resistance to the prison isolation cells known as F-type prisons. Shortly after the battle began, on 19 December 2000 the Turkish government sent thousands of military troops and police to storm over 20 prisons scattered around Turkey. They came in helicopters and armored personnel carriers, armed with machine guns, grenade launchers and other high-tech weapons. The prisoners resisted heroically; more than 30 of them gave their lives fighting the government attack. Since then, the great majority of political prisoners have been moved to the F-type prisons. There they face conditions of extreme isolation, making them vulnerable to beatings and torture, which the government has inflicted extensively, particularly in revenge for the December 19th resistance. The F-type prisons have been denounced by numerous human rights groups, including Amnesty International. Despite the severe conditions, the political prisoners have succeeded in continuing their resistance from within the new prisons, and several new groups have begun a death- fast resistance. In the face of this, the government first declared the death-fast resistance at an end. When it proved impossible to continue this lie, they then admitted the resistance was continuing, and subjected many of the political prisoners to force-feeding and compulsive medical treatment. But in the name of treatment, many prisoners suffered further abuse. The government has now adopted a new tactic, releasing more than 200 prisoners who were on death fast. It declared that this meant that there was no longer any reason to continue the resistance - even though the great majority of the thousands of political prisoners remain in the F-type prisons. A number of the released political prisoners decided to continue their death-fast resistance outside the prisons. This is being organised in two centres set up in Istanbul. Thousands of people from different walks of life have poured into the centres, surprising even the former political prisoners themselves with the depth and breadth of their support. The centers are becoming a focus of support not only for the ongoing resistance in the F-type prisons, but also for broader resistance to the government. Revolutionary songs echo through the centers as youth organise demonstrations against the International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity programme recently imposed on Turkey. The government had also clearly been hoping that the families of the prisoners would encourage them to step back from the struggle, and thus foster a spirit of conciliation. Instead the families have continued to be a bulwark of support for the ongoing resistance. On 24 August, during an anti-IMF demonstration, many family members were arrested. Shortly afterwards, at an appearance by the President of Turkey in the capital city of Ankara on 28 August 2001, police swiftly moved in to arrest members of political prisoner families in an effort to stifle their voice. The political prisoners are determined that the government shall not be able split them from their comrades still in the F-type prisons. They are also determined to link the struggle against the F- type prisons with the larger struggle against the repressive actions of the Turkish government. They are putting their lives on the line. They need and deserve your solidarity. Protest marches and hunger strikes have been held in Germany, Italy, France and other European cities. There will be actions on October 20th marking the launch of the political prisoners' resistance. Also, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (Marxist-Leninist) (TKP (ML)) has announced a "Week of Heroism" starting 19 December to commemorate the political prisoners' courageous fight against the storming of the prisons. To obtain information about the political prisoners' struggle and to send expressions of solidarity, please contact: Alibeykoy Direnis Evi / Karadolap Mahallesi / Saya Yokusu / Aycicek Sokak no. 7, Daire 3 / Alibeykoy, Istanbul / Turkey. - Fax/Phone: 90 212 6269352 Committee to Defend the Political Prisoners of Turkey (for information: Hundred Flowers Cultural Centre / 2A Belgrade Rd / London N16 - fax/phone: 44 (0)20 7249 3507 _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
