Protests initiated by prisoners in prisons, demanding the ending of the aggravated isolation imposed on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, ensuring his physical freedom and the solution of the Kurdish issue, continue. Prisoners took their rotating hunger strike, which they started on November 27, 2023, to a new stage on April 4. Prisoners have been boycotting the courts since April 4 and have not been able to meet their families or make phone calls. 

 

With this decision of the prisoners, their families also carried the "Justice Watch" protest, which they continued for months, in front of the prisons. In the "Speak up for freedom" protests held in many cities, a call is made to give voice to the demands of the prisoners.

 

'ISOLATION MUST BE ABOLISHED'

 

Relatives of prisoners in the Şemzînan (Şemdinli) district of Colemêrg stated that they were worried about the situation of their relatives whom they could not hear from due to the boycott of visits. Nadir Uysal, father of Engin Uysal, who has been imprisoned in Erzincan Type T Closed Prison for 8 years, stated that not being able to hear from his son due to the boycott of views worries him. Uysal said: "Our only demand is to end the isolation. In this way, our concerns will be resolved and our concerns will be eliminated. We have not heard from our children for nearly two months and we do not know what their situation is." 

 

Emphasizing that families must be the voice of the prisoners, Uysal said,:"Let's rise up together with the families of the prisoners. Let's be united and voice the demands of our prisoners. The isolation needs to be abolished immediately. We are worried about our children. State officials need to take action immediately."

 

Fahri Geylani, brother of Mustafa Geylani (52), a 25-year prisoner held in Elazığ High Security Prison No. 2, emphasized that the prisoners are taking action against all kinds of lawlessness, isolation and injustice in Turkey and Kurdistan prisons. Geylani stated that they stand by the justified demands of the prisoners. Stating that they have not received any news from the prisoners since April 4,  "When we call the prison administration, we cannot get any information. We are worried that something might happen to our prisoners" Geylani said.

 

Geylani said that they applied to the prosecutor's office and the Ministry of Justice regarding the issue and noted that they could not get positive or negative results from any of their applications. Geylani said: "As families, we are extremely worry. The main reason for the protests is the isolation that has been going on for 3 years. We know that the protests will not end until isolation is end. Assuming that these actions will not end, we, as families, will apply to all kinds of external official institutions and relevant units. We will use all our democratic rights until we achieve results."  

 

CALL FOR SENSITIVITY

 

Stating that they are behind the demands of the prisoners, "We are behind their demands. We support their demands. We are with them until the end. Turkey needs to be democratized, there can be a free life in Kurdistan, the isolation must be end and the unlawfulness in prisons must end. Our struggle will continue for all of these to happen" Geylani said.