RIHA - Families of prisoners who went on hunger strike demanding the physical freedom of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the solution of the Kurdish issue called for their demands to be met.

 

There has been no news from PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is held in absolute isolation in İmralı  Type F High Security Closed Prison and Ömer Hayri Konar, Veysi Aktaş and Hamili Yıldırım, who are held in İmralı, for 35 months. In order to end the ongoing isolation on İmralı Island and ensure the physical freedom of Öcalan, the "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, solution to the Kurdish issue" campaign was launched on October 10, 2023, with simultaneous statements made in 74 centers around the world. Within the framework of the campaign, hunger strikes initiated by prisoners in prisons in Kurdistan and Turkey on November 27 have entered their 60th day. The prisoners will continue their protests until February 15, when PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan was brought to Turkey with an international conspiracy.

 

Families of prisoners on hunger strike, Emin Çetintaş (41) and Ömer Faruk Yaprak, living in Riha's Hewag (Bozova) district, stated that their children's demands must be met as soon as possible and called for sensitivity to the democratic public.

 

Emin Çetintaş, who was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison for allegedly being a "member of the terror organization" after being arrested in Riha center in 2018, was exiled to Osmaniye Toprakkale No. 2 Type T Prison 4 months ago after being held in Hilvan No. 1 Type T Prison for 5 years. Çetintaş stated in a phone conversation with his brother that he started a hunger strike. Çetintaş's father, Mehmet Çetintaş (62), expressed their concern about the hunger strike actions and said that the demands of the prisoners must be met as soon as possible.

 

CALL FOR SENSITIVITY

 

Adding that the public must be sensitive to the hunger strike actions initiated by prisoners, Çetintaş said: “I am not just saying this for my own son. We are worried about all the prisoners on hunger strike. If it turns into a death fast, corpses will come out of prisons. The state needs to take steps as soon as possible. Our people, democrats and everyone who calls themselves human must be sensitive to the hunger strike actions initiated by the prisoners and show solidarity with the prisoners. The ongoing isolation imposed on Mr. Abdullah Öcalan is applied to all Kurds. Against this, the Kurds must unite and embrace the hunger strike in the prison. There has been no news from Mr. Abdullah Öcalan for 34 months. All Kurds are worried about the situation of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. Prisoners also started a hunger strike against this. We want meetings with Öcalan to be held as soon as possible.”

 

'KURDISH ISSUE IS BEING LEFT UNSOLVED'

 

Adding that the Kurdish issue was left unsolved with the isolation imposed on Öcalan, Çetintaş continued as follows: “The interlocutor in the solution of the Kurdish issue is Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. Negotiations with Mr. Abdullah Öcalan must take place and the Kurdish issue must be resolved as soon as possible. Today, the people living in Kurdistan and Turkey are in a serious economic crisis due to the Kurdish issue being left unresolved. The cause of the economic crisis is the ongoing war. If this war stops, the economic crisis will end and the people's economy will improve. We don't want anything. We want what is rightfully ours. We say that whatever rights the Turks have, the Kurds must also have. As a family, we are worried. A solution needs to be provided as soon as possible. A solution cannot be achieved as long as the isolation on Mr. Abdullah Öcalan continues. The process gets worse. The isolation imposed on Mr. Abdullah Öcalan is unlawful, Türkiye is committing a crime. Mr. Abdullah Öcalan is the leader of the Kurds. The Kurdish issue will be solved with Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. The state needs to sit down with Mr. Abdullah Öcalan and solve this problem. Unless a solution is provided, deaths will continue."

 

TORTURE IN PRISON

 

Ömer Faruk Yaprak, who was arrested in Riha's Bêrecûk district in 2012, was sentenced to 17 years in prison on the allegations of "being a member of a terrorist organization" and "aiding a terrorist organization". Yaprak, who is being held in Tarsus No. 2 Type T Prison, stated that he started a hunger strike in his meeting with his lawyers 25 days ago. Yaprak's father, Emin Yaprak (53), who lives in Hewag district, reminded that his son had 3 broken ribs due to the torture he suffered in Hilvan No. 2 Type T in 2021, and emphasized that he was exiled to Tarsus Prison after the torture. Sharing the information that he was given a 7-month phone call ban and a 3-month visit ban 2 months ago due to the investigation opened against his son in Tarsus Prison, Yaprak said that he has not been able to meet with his son for 2 months due to the ban.

 

'WE WANT IT TO END'

 

Stating that they, as a family, follow the hunger strike actions initiated by the prisoners with concern, Yaprak asked the state to listen to the demands. Underlining that the ongoing isolation of Öcalan must end as soon as possible, Yaprak said: “The state must take steps to allow the lawyer and his family to meet with Mr. Abdullah Öcalan and to meet the demands of the prisoners. The public needs to be sensitive to the demands of the prisoners and show solidarity. If the demands of the prisoners are met and this problem is solved, everyone will be at ease. If the problem is not solved it will get worse. The addressee of this question is Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. The isolation imposed on Mr. Abdullah Öcalan must be abolished and his ideas must reach to the public. The isolation is imposed not only on Mr. Öcalan, but on the whole society. The state does not enforce its own laws. Isolation has no place in the law. The people need to raise their voices to end this isolation and meet the demands of the prisoners on hunger strike.”

 

MA / Mahmut Altıntaş