Melike Aydın

 

DERSİM - Güler Konak says that she is worried about her prisoner daughter and the other prisoners’ lives in Elazığ Prison and states that they, as relatives of the prisoners, will support the ongoing hunger strikes continued since November 1.

 

The pressures towards the prisoners in all of the Prisons in Turkey and in Kurdistan have been increased after the declarations of state of emergencies (OHAL). In the Elazığ T Type Prison, which is one of these prisons that hosts these pressures events, the prisoners are on the hunger strike since November 1 because they are forced to wear uniform with a badge writing “terrorist” and for the solitary confinements.

 

Dersim Konak’s mother, Güler Konak stated that she is worried about the lives of the prisoners in Elazığ Prison.

 

Expressing that the prison administration had not made any improving attempt to end the ongoing hunger strike, Güler said that they will go on a hunger strike if necessary.

 

She can’t get any news about her daughter!

 

Güler stated that she went to the prison to have a talk to her daughter named Dersim who is prisoner for two and half months, but 20-30 wardens walked up to them and a brawl came out there. Saying that they faced the wardens’ arbitrary behaviors, Güler highlighted that they couldn’t get any news about the prisoners for one month.

 

‘The wardens walked up to us’

 

Expressing her daughter said her “We have prison identity obligation, we may not meet again” at the last meeting with her daughter, Güler stated that she couldn’t see her daughter again. Emphasizing that she could not meet with her daughter due to the phone and letter bans, Güler said, “Lately, they were beating the doors and were shouting slogans. We wanted to have a talk with the warden. They called head guard. The head guard said us, ‘you cannot have a talk with the warden, I have full authority here’ and he walked up to us. We fought with 20-30 guards and they chuck us out.”

 

Raid in the ward at midnight

 

Güler stated that they also had talk with the prosecution and the prosecutor told them that he wouldn’t violate the decisions. Güler mentioned about the discussion with the prosecutor as follows: “We told the prosecutor that we were worried about the lives of our children. Moreover, the prosecutor said, ‘they cannot come unless they take an identity card’. One of her friends wrote a letter, ‘the wardens came and took our forks, spoons, heaters, and plates because we were beating the doors and we were shouting the slogans. They have started to collect white and black clothes.”

 

Saying that they will support their children on hunger strike whatever happens, Güler states that they will go on hunger strikes outside as prisoners’ families.

 

Güler recalled that they cannot get any news about the prisoners due to the phone and letter bans and also shared the information that they gave cell confinement to the prisoner Fethiye Ok because she broke the camera, which was put in personal areas.