From: "Magnus Bernhardsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Peoples War] Fwd: [Ozgurluk] TB on Hungerstrike of Turkish Political Prisoners Den 24.09.01 klokka 13:51 skreiv Press Agency Ozgurluk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> : 23 September, 2001, Turkish Probe F-type Prisons Continue to be Turkey's Bleeding Wound 'We will burn ourselves to death in case of intervention' Yet another person has died as part of the death fast to protest the cell type or so-called F-type prisons in Turkey. The death toll has reached 36 with the death of two death fasters in Istanbul's Kucuk Armutlu neighborhood and a prison inmate who set himself alight The public has gone accustomed to the deaths, which does not help the rising number of fatalities. While the authorities say they stand firm, the death fasters do not budge either Police scuffled with demonstrators as Sahingoz' body was taken out of her house. Demonstrator Resti Sari phoned me and said "We will burn ourselves if police uses force" Dialogue between the sides is not yet ruled out, although the point where people are ready to die must signal a humanitarian tragedy. It is not easy to stand by as events unfold with the rigor of a chess game and the death fasters grow increasingly defiant Gul Demir The isolation of human beings... The idea that people will think differently in cell type prisons... The fear of losing one's beliefs and personality through continuous isolation... At the point where other means fail, the resort to force and violence... And the prisoners and their relatives who launched a death fast to "defend their honor"... One woman died this past week on the 330th day of her death fast (indefinite hunger strike) and a man on his 137th day as the government continues to reject the prisoners' demands. The death toll reached 34 a week ago Friday with the death of a woman faster in Istanbul's Kucuk Armutlu neighborhood, Umus Sahingoz. On Thursday Abdulbahri Yusufoglu, aged 21, died there also on the 137th day of his death fast while on Tuesday a prison inmate on death fast died after setting himself alight to protect police action against death fast supporters over the weekend. Sahingoz started a death fast in Istanbul's Umraniye Prison to protest isolation in cell type prisons and continued at Kartal Special Type Prison, where she was transferred after a violent police operation on Dec. 19. She was brought to the Bayrampasa State Hospital and Sisli Etfal Hospital as her health deteriorated, and there was an effort to intervene to provide medical assistance. Sahingoz' sentence was postponed for six months according to Article 399 of the Criminal Procedural Law. Events at the funeral The public has gotten accustomed to the deaths, which does not help the rising number of fatalities. While Turkish authorities say they stand firm, the death fasters do not budge either. Reason proves progressively more elusive. It was reported that events started in Kucuk Armutlu as Sahingoz' body was being taken out from her house. Police, who had taken wide security measures around the neighborhood, intervened to disperse slogan-shouting demonstrators alleged to be demonstrating illegally. Demonstrators scattered, then threw stones at police, put up roadblocks on side streets and burned tires. A police panzer seeking to raise the roadblocks was stoned. Twenty-five demonstrators were detaineed while others fled into side streets. Sahingoz' body was brought by police to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Morgue and sent to Ankara after the autopsy. Reportedly police fanned out in the Kucuk Armutlu neighborhood during the event, prevented the relatives of the dead woman from escorting the body, threw tear gas and tried to raid three houses. Emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire cars buzzed around. A number of casualities were reported in the wake of the police using tear gas and panzers. It was said that a prisoner's relative, Kerime Eroglu, had 15 stitches on her head and was not fully conscious as she was released by police. It was stated that another woman, Nadire Celik, was hit on the head and had 12 stitches. 'We will burn ourselves' As Sahingoz' body was removed from the house, police scuffled with demonstrators. Demonstrator Resti Sari phoned me and said "We will burn ourselves if the police use force." He expressed the demonstrators' concern about Interior Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen's statement in the wake of a suicide bombing in the hub of Taksim last week. He stated they were worried about the implication of intervention in their death fasts and would respond by burning themselves. Sari said, "Nine bodies ought to have been taken out and brought to the cem evi (Alawite prayer house). But police barred people from walking from there and forcefully dispersed the crowd. A number of people were injured and 25 were taken under custory. Roadblocks were set as it was thought that homes did not offer sufficient security for the fasters. Police threw tear gas at houses where death fasts continued. If they try to force us to quit the death fast, we will burn ourselves." The 42-year-old Sari is on the 273rd day of his death fast. The workings of mutual obstinacy are amply demonstrated by the death fasts. The reluctance of the Interior and Justice Ministries to open dialogue has brought the death fasts to a deplorable point. Violence escalates as demonstrators say they are ready to die. One recalls how the transition to the F-type prisons took place... Dialogue between the two sides is not ruled out, although the point where people are ready to die must signal a humanitarian tragedy. It is not easy to stand by as events unfold with the rigor of a chess game and the death fasters grow increasingly defiant. All this weighs on the consciousness of Turkish intellectuals and democrats. The methods of both sides are indefensible. What we reporters are left with is a message to young people and the authorities to be rational and moral. Walk always to where reason and morality meet. Relatives of prisoners, who are on death fasts More than 330 days have gone by since the start of the death fasts demanding an end to isolation in cell type prisons and the abolition of torture and operations. The relatives oners, who were released by the courts on the basis of Article 399 of the Criminal Procedural Law, continue the death fasts in houses. Istanbul Kucuk Armutlu Hulya Simsek: She is on the 303rd day of the death fast of TAYAD (Association for the Solidarity of Prisoners' Relatives) members. Arzu Guler: TAYAD member, 108th day. Resit Sari: TAYAD member, 281st day. Abdulbahri Yusufoglu: TAYAD member, started the death fast in Izmir. 132nd day. Zeynep Arikan: She was in the first group to start the death fast. She was paroled; 333rd day. Madimak Ozen: When recovering consciousness after the Dec. 19 operation, she restarted a death fast in the hospital; 119th day. Gamze Turan: She is in the fourth group to start fasting. After being released, she continued to fast; 157th day. Ali Riza Demir: In the first group to start a death fast. After being released, he continued to fast; 333rd day. Huseyin Akpinar: He was paroled after the operation on Dec. 19, restarted the death fast; 67th day. Dursun Ali Pekin: He was paroled after the operation on Dec. 19. He restarted the death fast; 69th day. Ferhat Erturk: He was paroled after the operation on Dec. 19. He restarted the death fast; 69th day. Ulas Butun: He was paroled after the Dec. 19 operation. He restarted the death fast; 71st day. Halil Aksu: He was paroled after the Dec. 19 operation. He restarted the death fast; 73rd day. Ozkan Guzel: He was paroled, restarted the death fast; 52nd day. Nurgul Kayapinar: She was released from Kandira Prison. She stated that she started the death fast in Kucuk Armutlu; 52nd day Serkan Gunes: He is from TAYAD. He went on a death fast in Malatya, continues in Kucuk Armutlu; 59th day. Alibeykoy Sabri Diri: He was convicted in the TKP-ML (Turkish Communist Party - Marxist Leninist) case. He is from the fourth group to go on a death fast. After being paroled, he continued the fast in his home in Yenibosna. He has been continuing the death fast with Tekin Yildiz and Aydin Hambayat since August 24, 2001 in the same house in Alibeykoy. It is the 59th day for him. Tekin Yildiz: He was convicted in the TKP-ML case. He was paroled after the Dec. 14 operation. He restarted the death fast and continued it in his home in Bagcilar, Ciftlik. He has been continuing the fast in Alibeykoy since August 24, 2001. It is his 59th day. Aydin Hambayat: He was convicted in the TKP-ML case. He was from the fourth group to go on a death fast. He continued at his relative's house in Gunesli. He has been continuing the death fast in Alibeykoy since August 24, 2001. He is on the 129th day. Murat Sahin: He stated that he started the death fast on August 24, 2001 to show support. It is his 39th day. Ankara Ozlem Durakcan: From TAYAD. She started the death fast in Ankara. It is her 63rd day. Ayse Bastimur: She is from the first group to go on a death fast. She has been fasting with Ozlem Durakcan in Ankara after being paroled. She is on the 330th day. Trabzon Tuncay Sonmez: He is from TAYAD. He is on the 52nd day of the death fast. Yozgat Sukran Sahin: From TAYAD. She started the death fast in Izmir and is fasting in her home in Yozgat. She is on the 48th day. Bursa Hakan Yildirim: He was from the second team to go on the death fast. He lost consciousness after the Dec. 19 operation. He restarted the death fast after recovering consciousness. He has been continuing the death fast in his home in Bursa after being paroled from Bursa Kandira F-type prison on August 21, 2001. He is on the 60th day of his death fast. -- Press Agency Ozgurluk In Support of the Revolutionary Peoples Liberation Struggle in Turkey http://www.ozgurluk.org _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
