Prisoners’ relatives blame the state for suspicious deaths in Turkish prisons

Prisoners’ families have been holding a justice vigil for 36 days for the release of sick prisoners and the other prisoners who are denied release.

The vigil is being carried out in the Amed Bar Association’s service building. The protesting families who are paid frequent solidarity visits were visited by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Hani district organization and city council members.

During the visit, Fatma Topkaya, a prisoner’s relative, spoke about the situation of her son, Ahmet Topkaya, in Adana Kürkçüler Closed Prison.

“My son has been in prison for 6 years and was sentenced to 22 years. What did he do and what is his crime that he is sentenced to a severe punishment? His health has been deteriorated in solitary confinement. There is no doctor, and they don’t give medicine to him. We send money yet they don’t give it to him. They constantly exile him. Everyone should raise their voices against this injustice. No one accepts this cruelty. Enough is enough,” Topkaya said.

HDP Hani District executive member İbrahim Kaya called for expanded resistance and solidarity against the oppression of fascism.

Another prisoner’s relative, İnci Güler, pointed to the 7 suspicious deaths in prisons in the last week. “7 prisoners died in prisons in one week, two of them were allegedly suicides. How can they commit suicide?” she asked.

“They do not have any materials in prisons. The state is responsible for this. Our fear and anxiety are increasing day by day. We live in a period worse than the 80s. We are afraid to wake up in the morning, because we may be informed that our relatives behind bars committed suicide. This fake suicide news cannot be accepted. We are calling out to the prisoners’ mothers. Every cry is a light and hope,” she added.

“Mothers need to unite for all our prisoners. We do not accept this persecution. It is unacceptable that sick prisoners are not treated. All mothers should stand up so that people no longer die in prisons. I have a cardiac pacemaker and my health is getting worse. I don’t know if I will ever be able to see my child. I want my child with me,” Fevziye Kolakan said, appealing to the mothers.

“We are protesting for the release of those prisoners whose sentences are completed and for the treatment of sick prisoners, but these two demands have not been met so far. Our relatives are said to have committed suicide. We do not accept this. The Ministry of Justice should hear our voices now!”, Reşahat Ada, a prisoner’s relative, said.

“20 people should attend the vigil each day. We need to increase the number of activists to stop the deaths,” said writer Herdem Mervanî who supports the vigil.