Buldan: Aysel Tuğluk’s condition is worsening

HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party) Co-Chair Pervin Buldan visited former MP Aysel Tuğluk in prison. Tuğluk has been in Kandıra prison in the western Turkish province of Kocaeli since 28 December 2016 and is suffering from dementia while in custody. Despite the fact that she has been found to be incapacitated, her sentence has not been lifted.

After her visit last Tuesday, Pervin Buldan confirmed Aysel Tuğluk’s poor health. She was already not well one and a half years ago, and now she is obviously very unwell. She can no longer look after herself and is completely dependent on her fellow prisoners. The imprisoned HDP politicians Gültan Kışanak and Figen Yüksekdağ also confirmed this: “She can hardly speak and recognise people, her motor skills are limited. On the day of the visit, she had been taken to hospital, but she herself did not say anything about it. The prisoner who is in a cell with her had written it on a piece of paper and given it to her.” The conversation took place with a dividing screen and Aysel Tuğluk was asked by her visitors to hold the paper up to the screen.

“She tried that, but even that was difficult for her. Of course, we are not always with her and only saw her for ten minutes. But both the prison administration and her fellow prisoners have given us detailed information. According to them, she has great problems coping with everyday life. They all say the same thing: she definitely needs medical treatment. The prison administration has also informed us that great changes can be observed in her behaviour, motor skills and speech. Her disease is probably no longer curable, but the course can be stopped or slowed down. Aysel suffered trauma at her mother’s funeral, we all witnessed it. Her mother’s body had to be exhumed and since then Aysel has not spoken a word during our visits. We visited her several times after her mother’s death, but she did not talk. Then she lost her memory. She is given medication, but this has not improved her condition. On the contrary, it is getting worse and worse. The execution of the sentence must be suspended immediately, there is no other alternative,” said Buldan.