In line with the decision taken on November 15, 1981, the International Writers Union (PEN) declared November 15 as World Imprisoned Writers Day. Every year on November 15, events are held to draw attention to the situation of writers and journalists around the world who are subjected to human rights violations and mistreatment in prisons.

 

While seriously ill prisoner writer Halil Güneş, who was held in Diyarbakır High Security Prison No. 2, died on December 15, 2021, Murat Türk, Gültan Kışanak, İlhan Sami Çomak, Layla Atabay, İbrahim Tikan, Ozan Alpkaya, Ramazan Çeper, Zeki Bayhan and Abdurrahim Akalp are just some of the writers held in prison. İmprisoned writers Zeki Bayhan and Abdurrahim Akalp, to whom we sent questions regarding November 15, World Imprisoned Writers' Day, made evaluations.

 

'THE PRISON PUT NUMEROUS OBSTACLES TO WRITTEN PRODUCTION'

 

Writer Zeki Bayhan, who is held in Kırıklar No. 2 Type F Prison, stated that there are numerous obstacles to written production in prisons and said: “Writing in prison is difficult. The prison regime has created countless visible and invisible obstacles to intellectual and literary production. Even a one-page letter sent to you will only be checked and delivered to you with the stamp 'Seen'. You may have resource problems, you cannot access the books you want. The prison regime, which has never been on good terms with opposition books, even gives limited books from spouses and friends."

 

'A BOOK PUBLISHED IN PRISON IS RESISTANCE'

 

Stating that there are many difficulties in delivering a book written in prison to the reader, Bayhan said: "Books published in prison are resistant. Let's say you took these problems with patience, effort and solidarity and wrote a book. It's not easy to take it out because blocking it with flimsy excuses is not even a chore. The book is confiscated, he is taken prisoner and ends up in the courts. If you are lucky and come across a conscientious committee, your book will be evacuated on the grounds that 'there is nothing you have done in this work'. He is released, but the suffering of the book does not end. This time, the problem of who will put it into the computer, who will proofread it, who will send it to the publishing house, and who will deal with the negligence of the publishing house begins. There are few prisoners who can cope with all these questions. A book written in prison and made available to readers outside is a stubborn and resistant book that has gone through these difficulties."

 

'WRITING IS CONSIDERATION TO NOT LEAVING'

 

Stating that writing in prison means resistance, Bayhan said: "It is an indication that someone who writes under prison conditions does not leave society and the struggle. The prison regime wants to isolate political prisoners from society and the struggle, disconnect them from their political thoughts and beliefs, and turn them into political objects. Writing under these conditions is stubbornness and resistance not to leave the struggle in society. For a revolutionary prisoner, writing is not an intellectual activity. Just touching society means speaking about the struggle. Continuing to be involved in the resistance means contributing to it. Think of it this way; A prisoner who has been held in solitary confinement for 10 or 20 years writes an article for a current political magazine. The intellectual level of your article is of course important. But there is something more important. The fact that a prisoner who has been isolated for 20 years has a say in current politics shows that he is not isolated from the struggle and society, and that he resists the prison regime. The fact that a prisoner who was imprisoned for many years was able to write a book about the ideological political struggle and convey the perspective of the struggle to the public, despite the conditions he was in, is a valuable contribution to the culture of resistance. Revolutionary captive writing does not and should not have an eye for personal intellectual achievement. They write for their beliefs and ideals. What writers write is meaningful and valuable as long as it serves their purpose."

 

'WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM'

 

Stating that they will not leave the struggle going on outside, Bayhan concluded his words as follows: “Writing in prison means resisting, and resisting means being alive. Can't solidarity be established with writers in prison? Isn't it possible to consider a website that deals with the problems of writers in prison and promotes their works? Every 2 or 3 years, in the middle of November, wouldn't it be considered to create stands with the works of imprisoned writers in centers such as Diyarbakır, Istanbul, Van and Izmir and hold autograph sessions? We will continue to write. We will try to convey our word and voice about the struggle and the future to the society. We have the desire and will not to break away from the life flowing outside and the ongoing struggle. We will continue to fight for freedom. Happy Imprisoned Writers Day to all of us.”

 

'WRITER CANNOT BE PRISONED AND THE WRITER IS FREE'

 

Writer Abdurrahim Akalp, who is held in Sincan No. 1 High Security Prison, stated that those who wrote their names in history, the writers, were arrested at some point in their lives, and said:"Being a writer is also revolutionary because the anti-freedom areas of the system are dungeons. That's why he not only imprisoned the writers he saw as opponents, but also tried to take away their pens, which were his weapons of writing; however, the free writer went out of places with his soul instead of his pen and continued under the leadership of the oppressed and the oppressed. Writing is also revolutionary. He leads with his ideas and what he produces; therefore, for the writer, the dungeon is not a punishment but an alternative, a place that gives meaning to time. It is to turn the place into a school of freedom. Writing is a matter of courage and taking the price. As in history, writers today are the target of the system. They want to restrict their freedom by putting them in prison under pressure. For this writer, it is not important where he is, but how he struggles. To celebrate 15 November Imprisoned Writers' Day in free places, writing cannot be imprisoned and the writer is free."

 

MA / Hakan Yalçın