The action initiated by the prisoners for the freedom of PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan has moved to a new stage as of April 4, and continues with court boycotts, telephone and family meetings. Visiting the prisoners held in Adana Kürkçüler Type F Closed Prison, Human Rights Association (IHD) Adana Branch Prisons Commission Spokesperson, Lawyer Aziz Sarı, drew attention to the rights violations in prisons. Stating that the prison administration has arbitrary practices, Sarı said that the prisoners have not been able to access their right to health for the last 3 years because they did not accept the imposition of "oral searches".

 

'THERE ARE MORE THAN 30 ILL PRISONERS, 8 OF WHICH ARE SERIOUS'

 

Stating that there are Kürkçüler Type F, Type E, Kürkçüler No. 1 Type T, Kürkçüler No. 2 Type T, Tufanbeyli Type K1, Saimbeyli Type K1, Pozantı Type M and Kozan Type M prisons, Sarı said, Suluca Type L Closed and Adana High Prisons. He said that the construction of closed security prisons continues. Adding that there are political prisoners in Kürkçüler No. 1 Type T Closed Prison and Kürkçüler Type F Closed Prison, Sarı pointed out that there are more than 30 ill prisoners in both prisons, 8 of whom are seriously ill. Sarı stated that applications made to the Ministry of Justice to postpone the executions of ill prisoners have remained inconclusive so far.

 

'THE RIGHT TO HEALTH IS BEING USURRED'

 

Stating that the prisoners did not accept the imposition of "oral search", which is one of the arbitrary and unlawful approaches of the prison administration and the soldiers, and therefore their health rights were usurped, Sarı stated that this imposition was against the regulations and laws. Sarı said: "Prisoners who do not accept this imposition are not sent to the hospital and therefore cannot benefit from their treatment rights. As a result of our applications to both the prison administration and the Adana Governorship law enforcement monitoring unit to end the oral search, we received a written response. The search in question was 'procedural.’ And it was said that it was in compliance with the law. At this point, our applications remain inconclusive. A delegation of 3 people from the Turkish Human Rights Equality Institution made inspections, especially Adana Kürkçüler Type F, and a report has not been shared with the public yet."

 

'PRISONS ARE THE REFLECTION OF A COUNTRY'

 

Stating that the prisoners who have been protesting since November 27, 2023 for the physical freedom of PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan and the solution of the Kurdish issue have been given disciplinary punishments and have been beaten and exiled to different prisons, Sarı said: "The prisoners are held in absolute isolation. The government is trying to isolate people who do not think like themselves. What happens in prisons is a reflection of a country and is directly proportional to the use of democratic rights and freedoms."

 

Sarı emphasized that the Imrali isolation has spread to all prisons in the country as a whole. Stating that the release of the prisoners is prevented for meaningless reasons, Sarı stated that what happened is not legal both in terms of penal execution law and human rights.

 

MA / Hamdullah Yağız Kesen