VAN - Underlining the importance of the hunger strike carried out by the prisoners demanding an end to the isolation imposed upon PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, TUHAY-DER and DBP co-chairs said: "The isolation must be lifted, and negotiations must be established as soon as possible."

 

The aggravated isolation against PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held in İmralı High Security F-Type Closed Prison for 22 years, is getting deeper. The indefinite-alternating hunger strike launched by Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) prisoners on November 27, 2020, to end the isolation and violations of rights in prisons has left its 182nd day behind.

 

Kudret Temel, co-chair of the Association for Assistance and Solidarity with the Families of Prisoners (TUHAY-DER), and Gülderen Varlı, the Van Provincial co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), made evaluations regarding the hunger strike.

 

Stance against rights violations: Results with exile

 

+Drawing attention to the increasing number of operations recently, Kudret Temel said that dozens of people were detained within the scope of these operations. Expressing that a new violation of rights in Patnos, Van T Type, F Type and High Security prisons in the region is added every day, Kudret said: "Newspaper and books are not given on time, telephone calls with families are arbitrarily closed. Prisoners who object to violations are subject to solitary confinement and exile. Sick prisoners are not treated. It can sometimes be kept for more than a month in response to the hospital demand for health problems."

 

‘The vital necessities are sold to prisoners at twice the price’

 

Stating that the restrictions caused by the pandemic also increased violations in prisons, Kudret said that even vital needs are often not met by alleging pandemics. On the other hand, Kudret pointed out that many families cannot visit their relatives who are in prison due to the deepening economic crisis and said: "Many families cannot visit their relatives who have been detained in another city for more than two years. From the canteens of regional prisons, vital needs are sold to prisoners at twice the price. No conscience will accept this unlawfulness, this violation."

 

‘End the isolation as soon as possible’

 

Stressing that the isolation imposed in İmralı Prison should be lifted, Kudret said: "The main reason for the violations is the isolation system implemented in Imrali Prison. The prisoners demonstrated many times to meet their demands with hunger strikes. For this, many prisoners lost their lives. We do not want this hunger strike to turn into an indefinite-irreversible one. It is our call to the Ministry of Justice; Apply whatever the prisoner's right under the law is. Listen to their demands. End the isolation as soon as possible."

 

‘The only addressee of the Kurdish Issue is Mr. Öcalan’

 

Gülderen Varlı, who stated that the isolation continues by spreading to all parts of the society, said that the allegations about the gang leader Sedat Peker and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have been on the agenda recently. Noting that it is clear what needs to be done, Gülderen said: "The Prosecutor’s Office initiates an investigation against these allegations and the necessary actions are taken. We have been saying for 40 years that poverty, corruption and violations have been managed with a great crisis in the country. We renew it once again and have said it again. The main reason for the country to reach peace and to solve the problems is the Kurdish Issue. The only addressee of the Kurdish problem is Mr. Öcalan. The isolation should be lifted as soon as possible and negotiations should be established. Otherwise, the crisis will deepen even more."

 

Lastly, Gülderen, who addressed the public and officials, asked to be sensitive to hunger strikes.