Sister of prisoner who died in jail says his brother’s heart beat only for Kurdistan

Gule Güneş, sister of Halil Güneş, who died in prison 11 days before his release, said that the news of his death devastated the family. “We will never smile from the heart again,” she said.

Halil Güneş, who was not released despite being seriously ill, died on 15 December 2021 in his cell alone. For 29 years, he never gave in, he did not ask for mercy. Despite his severe illness and torture, he always smiled at life and people.

Güneş, who was also a writer and poet, wrote two books named “Aşkaoş” and “Caney”.

Recalling that Halil spent 29 years in prison, his sister Gule Güneş said: “Despite all his illness, he never compromised on his honourable stance. I can never forget what he told me in our last phone call. The prosecutor said to him, ‘Sign this petition and we will release you tomorrow’. My brother didn’t accept it and said we love life enough to die for it. We received the news of his death 5 days later.”

Gule Güneş added: “My brother’s only hope and expectation was to meet his friends, but it did not happen. My biggest regret was that he left without achieving this wish. My brother’s heart beat only for Kurdistan. He said that he owed all his resistance to this love. It was devastating for us to receive the news of his death while waiting for his release. Moreover, we learned this news when the prison called our home phone and informed my mother. My mother has not picked up the phone since that day, and I don’t think she will ever use it again.”