Prisoners in prisons have not been seen in court since April 4, demanding "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and a solution to the Kurdish issue" and have not been able to make phone calls to their families. Relatives of prisoners came together in front of prisons in many provinces today as part of the "Speak up for freedom" protests to meet their demands.

 

IZMIR

 

Aegean Association of Assistance and Solidarity with Families of Detainees and Convicts (EGE TUHAYDER) and relatives of prisoners made a statement in front of Kırıklar Prison. In the statement attended by many people, a banner saying, "Let's break the isolation for justice, raise your voice for freedom for social peace" was opened and slogans such as "Bijî berxwedana zindanan (Long live resistance of dungeons)", "Rights, law, justice" and "No to isolation, freedom for prisoners" were chanted.

 

Speaking in front of the prison, DEM Party Izmir Provincial Co-Chair Mehmet Kuruş drew attention to the decision made in the Kobanê Case and said: "Our friends were tried and punished because they wanted the Kurdish issue to be solved by democratic methods." 

 

Noting that the isolation imposed on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan is reflected in all other prisons, "Isolation is a crime against humanity. Steps must be taken for a democratic solution to the problems by ending the isolation. All actors that can solve the Kurdish issue must be put into action" Kuruş said.

 

The statement ended with shouting after the sit-in protest.

 

ADANA

 

A statement was made in front of Kürkçüler Prison Campus in Adana, under the leadership of Akdeniz Adana Assistance Association with Detainees and Convict Families (AATUHAY-DER) with the participation of political parties and non-governmental organizations.

In the statement, the crowd opened the banner "Let's break the isolation for justice, raise our voice for freedom for social peace" and frequently chanted slogans such as "Bijî berxwedana zindanan", "Voice for freedom", "Biji berxwedana Imrali (Long live resistance of Imrali)" and "Political prisoners are our honor".

 

DEM Party Adana Provincial Co-chair Helin Kaya drew attention to the aggravated isolation imposed on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and reminded that there has been no news about Abdullah Öcalan for 38 months. Kaya called for an end to the isolation as soon as possible and said: “Isolation means oppression, cruelty, torture, destruction, denial, provocation to war, hunger and poverty. It is obvious that the state mind and the government have deepened these social problems with their isolation policies. The practices put into effect in Turkey have left even dictatorships behind. Let's continue our organized struggle together against this outdated mentality."

 

After the speeches, the mass held a sit-in protest.

 

AMED

 

Relatives of prisoners came together in front of Diyarbakır Prison Campus in the 3rd week of the "Speak up for Freedom" protest. In the action attended by many people, the banner saying "Speak up for freedom" was opened, while the families of prisoners wore "isolation is a crime against humanity" aprons. During the action, slogans such as "Bijî berxwedana zindanan", "Right, law, justice" and "Girtiyên siyasî rûmeta me ne (Political prisoners our honor)" were frequently shouted.

 

DEM Party Amed Provincial Co-Chair Abbas Şahin stated that the isolation has spread to the entire country and that they will insist on a democratic solution despite all the pressure. Reacting to the police who prevented journalists from shooting, Şahin said: “The eyes of the world are here. History has shown us many times and will show us again how those who apply this pressure go to the wastebasket of history. The country will not be liberated unless the isolation is abolished."

 

ÊLIH

 

Relatives of prisoners wanted to make a statement in front of Batman Type M Closed Prison, demanding "Speak up for freedom". The police did not allow the statement due to a "prohibition of action" within one kilometer of Batman Governorship's Type M Closed Prison. When the statement was blocked, the relatives of the prisoners staged a sit-in protest with the slogan "Bijî berxwedana zindanan".

 

MERSIN

 

In Mersin, relatives of prisoners made a statement in front of Tarsus Campus Prison. Speaking at the statement attended by many people, People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Mersin Deputy Ali Bozan stated that isolation is torture. Bozan said: "The isolation that has been maintained in Imrali Island Prison for 25 years is the oppression of the palace. The determination of the Peace Mothers will break the isolation and defeat their oppression. We will continue to say speak up for freedom."

 

DEM Party Deputy Perihan Koca said: "This call is a call to live humanely. This call is a call to an honorable life. It is a call for everyone in our country to live as equal citizens under the conditions of a democratic republic and democratic constitution. The cruelty in prisons and torture in prisons must be stopped immediately. We will insist on our struggle until the conditions for peace to be established are ripe. Every week, we will continue to say 'speak up for freedom' here in front of prisons, as we do all over the country."