Ardıl Çeşme, who has been held for 31 years in Erzincan Women’s Prison, has not been released despite completing the life sentence imposed on her in November 1994. Her release has been postponed for the third time, each time for six months. Her sister, Asiye Seyhan, told ANF: “This is not imprisonment, it is outright hostage-taking.”
According to data from the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), the release of nearly 4,000 prisoners has been postponed across prisons in Turkey. One of them is Ardıl Çeşme, who has been imprisoned for 31 years in Erzincan Women’s Prison. Her sister, Asiye Seyhan, said that despite having no disciplinary penalties, Ardıl has been denied release and subjected to systematic pressure. Seyhan said: “They keep postponing her release with the same excuse, claiming that her ‘connection with terrorism has not ended. She has no disciplinary punishment at all. Every time we visit her, we witness the guards trying to pressure and provoke her. Because of this, she no longer wants us to visit often. The last time we spoke, she said she had lost all hope in the release committee. She told us, ‘Only a legal reform could lead to our release; otherwise, they want to keep us in prison for 36 years.’”
They should simply uphold the law
Asiye Seyhan said that despite everything, her sister Ardıl remains in good spirits. Seyhan said: “She is the one who gives us strength. Her attitude is clear: this hostage-like situation must end as soon as possible. Erzincan Prison is extremely difficult in every sense. There is heavy pressure, from visitations to even basic conversations. They do not allow us to greet others or let prisoners take photos together. Even the slightest contact is stopped by the guards, who immediately say, ‘No physical contact.’ We are only asking for what is rightfully ours. They should simply uphold the law.”
Our mother is waiting to die after seeing her daughter
Seyhan also spoke about their 86-year-old mother, who had not seen Ardıl for eight years. “Because of a stroke, my mother has not been able to visit her. She only hears her voice on the phone. My mother is waiting for her daughter. In every phone call, she says: ‘When will you come? Please come so that I can finally die; isn’t it enough already?’ No one has the right to inflict this pain on these families. This lawlessness and captivity must end. This process is carried out arbitrarily. Our children are not prisoners anymore, they are being held as hostages. And this policy is being especially imposed on women prisoners.”