The Justice Vigil carried out by the relatives of the prisoners in Izmir Bar Association, demanding the release of ill prisoners and of those who have served their sentence and yet are still in prison for arbitrary reasons, has entered its 12th day. Fatma Sürme, the relative of one of the prisoners, underlined that there is a hunger strike going on in Tekirdağ F Type Prison No. 2 and called for solidarity.

Torture in Tekirdag Prison

Following the suspicious death of prisoner Vedat Erkmen on 19 December 2021 in Tekirdağ Prison No. 2, the prisoners went on hunger strike on 17 January. Fatma Sürme said that she went to visit her son Ahmet on 22 February and was told that the violations in the prison continued to the extent of torture. "We listened to a mother's screams and cries. Then we heard the prisoners chanting slogans. The police went to the gendarmerie. They blew the whistle. We will not know if bodies are coming out of prison. At the visit, they brought the prisoners one by one and made them meet in separate rooms. The visit lasted for half an hour, just the time for us to sit down and get up again. My son said they are doing everything on them and told about the cruelty experienced by ill prisoners. My son said that they will continue the hunger strike until the isolation pressure on all prisoners is lifted.”

'I will continue even if I stay alone'

Fatma Sürme said that they will continue the Justice Vigil until the sick prisoners are released and isolation is lifted. “The state does not know what justice means. If there is only one person left, I will continue the vigil alone.”