Families of prisoners who were holding a vigil in front of the Bakirkoy Prison were attacked by the police again and 4 people were detained. HDK Co-spokesperson Gulistan Kocyigit said, “This injustice you commit will burn you too.”
Police attacked the mothers who were to hold their 5th vigil to draw attention to political prisoners on hunger strikes demanding an end to the isolation imposed upon Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan.
HDP MPs Meral Danis Bestas and Zuleyha Gulum, HDK Co-spokespersons Gulistan Koc Yigit and Sedat Senoglu and Istanbul Law Institutions Coordination supported the vigil where mothers wore white headscarves symbolizing peace. The police surrounded the prison before the protest. Mothers held a press statement before going to the protest grounds and said the Imrali isolation must end at once.
“END THE ISOLATION, DON’T LET YOUNG PEOPLE DIE”
Mother Zehra Dogan who was detained on Thursday’s vigil spoke in Kurdish and said, “Our children are students, public workers, doctors. They are all educated. They are in prison for nothing. How are you so comfortable against such tyranny? How can you sleep at night? Our children waste away before our eyes. End this isolation now, stand up and shout, don’t let these young people die.”
“KEY TO PEACE IS IN IMRALI”
Mother Simamperi Akyildiz who has 2 children on hunger strike in prison said they will continue their protests with determination until the hunger strikes are resolved.
Akyildiz said: “Today we have been in front of the Bakirkoy Prison. Our children are on hunger strikes. Until the isolation against Ocalan ends, until our children are no longer on hunger strikes, we will come and sit here every day. This situation is unacceptable for our dignity. They detained us harshly yesterday. In our statement in the police headquarters, we said we will sit by the prison every day until the isolation ends. The president hasn’t said anything. Because they are afraid peace will come if they meet with Imrali. The key to peace is in Imrali. That is why they banned visits. Erdogan is dragging Turkey into chaos and war. He will make it a sea of blood. Saying one state, one flag won’t solve these issues. The state continues to exert this violence on Kurds like no other state.
BESTAS: WHO IS BANNING, BASED ON WHAT?
The police cut off the mothers as they marched to the prison accompanied by the MPs. HDP MPs protested the arbitrary act and had a long discussion with the police. HDP MP and lawyer Meral Danis Bestas protested the police chief who threatened to attack the crowd and said: “Who is banning this, on what grounds? We will hold a statement here.” The police chief said, “I have been in this organization for 33 years, don’t teach me the rules.”
As the police made announcements to intervene, MPs and lawyers read the statement and condemned the police ban. Lawyers for Freedom (OHD) member Lawyer Ayse Canikli spoke first in the name of the Istanbul Law Institutions Coordination and protested the police ban, stressing that urgent steps must be taken to end the isolation.
KOCYIGIT: YOUR INJUSTICE IS KILLING PEOPLE
HDK Co-spokesperson and HDP MP Gulistan Kocyigit said the mothers have been gathering by the Bakirkoy Prison to speak up for their children on hunger strikes and death fasts, and to call the government to take action. Kocyigit said the mothers are protesting with a single demand, that the isolation in Imrali end, and added that security forces intervened every day and detained many.
Kocyigit said their statement was prevented again today and continued: “We want to say that we condemn this unlawful situation. Instead of putting up barricades in front of us, instead of putting us up agaisnt the police, stop our children from dying. We are calling on the Justice Ministry, to the Istanbul Governorate and to all authorities - your injustice kills people. This unlawfulness will burn you to. Those who cite security and the law at us at every chance they get are currently violating laws of the Republic of Turkey. These mothers are here to ensure the law is implemented. People are on hunger strikes, on death fasts just to get the law implemented.”
LAWYERS PROTECTING MOTHERS ALSO DETAINED
Following the statement, the police attacked the mothers who were protesting the police ban by chanting “Biji Berxwedana zindanan”. The police fired powdered tear gas filled rubber bullets on the crowd and detained lawyers Ahmet Balkaya and Rengin Ergul as well as two mothers.
