ANKARA - Pointing out that there is a clear state of lawlessness in İmralı Island, İHD Co-Chair Öztürk Türkdoğan said, “It is necessary to object and oppose what is going on in İmralı. There is a need for more effective and faster solutions.”

 

Justice watches for the treatment and release of the ill prisoners and prisoners who are held in prison despite they served their time continues. Relatives of the prisoners came to Ankara from Istanbul, Mersin, Van, Şırnak, Siirt, Hakkari, Batman, Mardin and Diyarbakır and made a series of visits to political parties and non-governmental organizations. Families also visited the Human Rights Association (İHD), which received many applications for violations of rights from prisons and their relatives. Fighting for the release and treatment of ill prisoners, IHD continues to call on the Ministry of Justice, international institutions and organizations for a solution.

 

İHD Co-Chair Öztürk Türkdoğan made evaluations about the violations of rights in prisons and what needs to be done. 

 

300 THOUSAND PRISONERS

 

Expressing that there are very serious human rights violations in prisons, Türkdoğan said, “Because the state has a policy of incarceration in Turkey. It has been decided and implemented by the state. Unfortunately, it is not a humanitarian policy at all. It is a policy based on the refutation of prisoners. On the other hand, new prisons are being built all the time in recent years. We used to define Type F prisons as 'coffins'. Now, high-security prisons with different letters are being built, which have much more severe conditions than Type F prisons. Another problem; As the political power in Turkey becomes authoritarian, the policy of imprisoning people is gradually developing. Currently, there are approximately 300,000 prisoners in Turkish prisons. The fact that it is so crowded alone prevents any kind of hygiene situation.”

 

THERE ARE STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS

 

Reminding that the law numbered 7242 was enacted during the pandemic and reminding the crowd in prisons, Türkdoğan said, “Even in that law, they discriminated among prisoners. As if Covid-19 did not infect those within the scope of the Anti Terror Law (TMK), they made ridiculous arrangements. Although nearly 100 thousand people were evacuated with this law, the number pf prisoner in Turkish prisons is still 300 thousand. Therefore, there are structural problems in Turkey. I don't remember another period when the TMK was implemented so badly. Everyone is facing 'terrorism' charges and there are tens of thousands of people imprisoned under the TMK, even though they did not resort to any acts of violence. Journalists, politicians, human rights activists, elected officials, students, trade unionists. We can extend the category. Turkey ranks first in Europe in terms of the number of people held in prison in proportion to its population. In the countries where the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has given a violation decision, Turkey always takes the first place. Turkey has completely moved away from Western European group standards. In such a country, we see not only violations in prisons, but also that everything is getting worse.”

 

THE DEADLOCK IN THE KURDISH QUESTION

 

Pointing out that prisons cannot be handled independently of the current problems in the country, Türkdoğan made the following assessments: “Prisons have become like this because this government did not solve the Kurdish problem. Turkey is now in a spiral of violence. Those who commit murder crimes are in the first place. The number of inmates for drug crimes is very high. How did we get here? Therefore, you cannot even talk about prisons without opposing the war and putting forward peaceful methods in the Kurdish issue. Turkey has lost its conscience. Just as the war kills the truth, it also darkens the conscience. It is necessary to invite people to conscience. You must refrain from any practice that will result in actual death. Does the AKP-MHP dream of a Turkey that will keep a large part of its population in prisons?”

 

Türkdoğan called on the parties with a group in the Parliament, the government and the Ministry of Justice to reconsider the "Execution Law" within the framework of the United Nations Mandela Rules.

 

CPT WILL VISIT TURKEY

 

Expressing that the authorized institutions did not fulfill their duties, Türkdoğan stated that after the death of Garibe Gezer, the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission should set up a sub-committee and go to the prison and find out what happened. Türkdoğan said, “There is still no effective investigation. We need to abandon impunity. Turkey should abandon this policy of impunity. Political and social opposition needs to be more concerned with prisons. This year CPT will visit Turkey again. We will talk about all these with them, and we will ask them to conduct more effective investigations and audits. It is trying to fulfill the requirements of international mechanisms in this regard

 

OBVIOUS UNLAWFULNESS IN IMRALI

 

Mentioning the aggravated isolation in Imrali Island Prison, where PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan is being held, Türkdoğan emphasized that there is a case of an obvious unlawfulness in İmralı. Türkdoğan said, “Everyone is remaining a mere spectator to what's going on in İmralı which paves the way for other prisons to be like that. We have to stand against it. We don't know if the government will take this seriously and bring it to their agenda. We have been trying to get an appointment from the Ministry of Justice but they won't respond to our calls. We need a more rapid solution. Prisons must be the first item on the agenda. The priority of the political and social opposition must be the prisons."

 

 

MA / Zemo Ağgöz