ANKARA – Political prisoners in Sincan No. 1 Prison, stating that their letters containing Abdullah Öcalan and İmralı were confiscated, called on everyone, especially their families, to increase the practical and political struggle for Öcalan's freedom.

 

While the hunger strikes, which started in prisons demanding the physical freedom of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and a solution to the Kurdish issue, continues on its 78th day, political prisoners in Ankara Sincan No. 1 High Security Closed Prison (YGC) sent a message to the public.

 

In the message sent by the prisoners to the entire democratic public and their families it is said: “Every prisoners and detainee in prisons has various rights specified in the Constitution and laws. Imralı Island Prison, which is subject to these laws and is within the territory of Turkey, is also included. Leader of Kurds Mr. Abdullah Öcalan and our friends Ömer Hayri Konar, Veysi Aktaş, Hamili Yıldırım, who are in there, are held in heavy isolation, and neither their family nor their lawyers are allowed to see them. They are not granted the telephone rights granted to everyone else.”

 

'INSTEAD OF ABOLISHING, THE ISOLATION WAS DEEPENED'

 

Prisoners stated in their reports on Imrali, where the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) affiliated with the Council of Europe (EC) visited Imrali, that although they found that there were "violations of rights" many times, the state increasingly deepened the isolation of Öcalan instead of abolishing it. They noted that the isolation system in İmralı is being gradually extended to the entire society.

 

The following evaluations were included:

 

“Lots of our ill friends have lost their lives in prisons. Despite the Forensic Medicine Institute's reports saying 'they cannot stay in prison', thousands of our friends are still in prison. Again, lots of our friends whose sentences have been completed are still being held in prison. However, the gang leaders who received aggravated life sentences and were subject to supervised release, drug barons, murderers of women, rapists, those who burned people alive in Madımak, and the Hizbulcontras who murdered people with brutal methods such as hog ties are being released, but they continue to held only politic prisoners in prison. If this is not illegality, what is? If this is not a double standard, what is? If this is not inequality, what is? If this is not a violation of rights, what is?”

 

'A POLITICAL STRATEGY'

 

The İmralı isolation system is a political strategy developed by the fascist government and is a strategy that is part of the general Kurd genocide. This system of genocide has spread everywhere. All YGC and Type S prisons, which have been put into effect in recent years, are systemic prisons based on isolation. Human is a social being and therefore exists with society.

 

'AS WE ARE AWARE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY...'

 

Being aware of the responsibility that the "Dem dema azadî'ye ye" (Ji Reber Apo rê Azadî jî pirskîrek ê Kurd rê Çözümerî - Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, solution to the Kurdish issue) move imposes on us in the prison we are in, we strongly involve ourselves in the move with high morale and belief. All the letters we wrote within the framework of the move are being confiscated. Especially when we mention Leader Apo and Imralı, our letters are confiscated. In short, every letter in which Leader Apo's name is mentioned is confiscated. The state and its fascist institutions are not only imposing isolation, they are trying to remove Leader Apo from our agenda by trying to prevent even the mention of Leader Apo's name.

 

'NO POWER WILL MAKE US FORGET'

 

They must know well that no power on earth (or anywhere else) will be able to make us forget Leader Apo. Those who confiscated our letters and tried to remove Leader Apo from our agenda must know that they are wrong. As a result, we call on all our friends, especially our families and people, to participate in a practical and political struggle for the freedom of Leader Apo. We call on increase the struggle with rich methods in every sense.

 

'ISOLATION DEEPENS THE WAR’

 

We say this to the whole society and the world; Exacerbating the isolation imposed on Leader Apo means deepening the war. The deepening of the war means the deepening of deaths. The Turkish Republic and its fascist regime are exploiting emotions through deaths, the policies they create are responsible for the deaths, but they create such a perception that people hold the KurdS and their representatives responsible. Our people and their freedom movement broke these games with the move they initiated. We salute our people and comrades who resist everywhere. Victory has always been for those who resist. We resisted, we will resist and we will definitely win. Either freedom or freedom.”