800 Political Prisoners in Turkey on the Brink of Death

1,100 prisoners in Turkish prisons, charged or convicted of politically-motivated offences (Amnesty International Report) are on the brink of death as the hunger strike they started on October 20th reaches its 52nd day. The main contention is the government's announced plan to transfer political prisoners to new "F-Type" prisons where inmates will be housed 1-3 to a cell, instead of the current ward system where 20-80 prisoners are housed together. The last time the government tried to transfer them in 1996, 2000 prisoners went on a hunger strike that lasted more than 65 days. The government only acceded to their demands after 12 prisoners died of starvation and hundreds suffered significant impairment. One of the demands of the current hunger strikers is the release on compassionate grounds of the survivors of the 1996 hunger strike who are still in prison although they suffer from grave and debilitating injuries such as brain damage, kidney failure, blindness and various neurological disorders.

Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Justice Minister Ahmet Turk have repeatedly claimed that the F-type prisons are "humane and luxurious," and intend to continue with the government's plans. Turkey has been condemned by every human rights group, including Amnesty International, European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Human Rights Watch, for the "widespread and systematic" use of torture in prisons. The inmates claim that the isolation regime will increase the incidence of both psychological and physical torture and that their current communal living arrangements are their only protection. Besides the widespread use of torture, there are many documented instances where the guards have charged into the wards and either shot or beaten inmates to death; 3 were killed in Buca prison on September 1995, four in Umraniye on January 4th, 1996, ten in Diyarbakir on September 24th 1996 and ten in Ulucanlar on September 26th, 1999. Given Turkey's record of abuse of prisoners even when they have some minimal protection due to their numbers, hunger strikes are not an irrational choice for these prisoners.

Of the 1,100 hunger strikers, around 250 of them are on a salt-water-only regime that is dubbed a "death-fast". The others take sugar water as well as salt water, which does increase the number of days they can survive but is nonetheless inevitably lethal. As we pass day 60, unless immediate steps are taken, many of these prisoners will be left with permanent disabilities even if they stop the hunger strike. Many human rights groups that have gone on record on this issue, including Amnesty International, have stated agreement with the prisoner's demands. Many family members of the prisoners are also on solidarity hunger strikes. Human rights groups in Turkey, as well as prominent writers and artists have called on the government to take positive steps, so far to no avail.

Turkey is fairly vulnerable to sustained international pressure on prison reform. Currently, Turkey is going through a financial crisis which has forced it to take out a $10 billion emergency IMF loan. It is in talks with the EU for membership. Turkey is the third largest recipient of U.S. military aid, after Israel and Egypt. Turkish government has wiped out and repressed most of the internal opposition (with around 10,000 political prisoners to attest to that fact). If Turkish Embassies around the world as well as the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice receive a substantial number of faxes and letters of protest, in addition to protest demonstrations, it may make an enormous difference for the survival chances of these 800 people who have put on the line the last thing they have left -- their own lives.

PLEASE FAX TURKISH OFFICIALS
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President (Salutation: Your Excellency)
+90-312 427 13 30
Prime Minister (Dear Prime Minister)
+90-312 417 04 76
Justice Minister (Dear Minister)
+90-312 417 39 54
Minister of Interior Affairs
+90-312 418 17 95