Human rights violations against prisoners continue to increase at the Adana Suluca No. 1 High Security Closed Prison. Mehmet Emin Ado, who is imprisoned there, sent a letter to our agency regarding the increasing violations. Beginning his remarks by emphasising the importance of the Peace and Democratic Society Process, which is being carried out for the resolution of the Kurdish issue and the democratisation of Turkey, Ado stressed that they are trying to follow and support the on-going process from the prison under conditions of severe isolation.

 

Ado continued in his letter: "However, we also know that there are people who oppose the process. Prisons are at the forefront of areas where pressure is always exerted. The prison administration here is also acting as if it opposes the process, implementing various arbitrary practices. To list some of these:

 

* They have placed us in the same area as DAESH and FETÖ members, and some of our friends have been placed in areas with DAESH, FETÖ or criminals. This situation creates grounds for provocation. 

 

* They have placed cameras in our cells and rooms and are watching us 24/7. They have left no area for privacy. There is nowhere inside that the camera cannot see. Even the most basic human needs (bathroom-toilet) cannot be met because we are under camera surveillance. The beds are monitored by cameras.

 

* The room we were placed in is described as a three-person cell. However, this space was created by combining two single cells, fitted with three iron bunk beds, is single-storey, has no ventilation, the window is covered with wire mesh, and only one side of the window can be opened. There isn't even two square metres of space inside to exercise or play sports. We spend 23 hours a day with three people in a cramped space like a cage or a coop, in a room that could be described as a 'death chamber' or a 'pit'. Only once a day are we taken out for one hour to a ventilation area used by FETÖ, ISIS members, and criminals. In terms of social and sporting activities, there is nothing except for a two-hour chat and one hour of exercise. 

 

ILL PRISONERS

 

* Among us are our friends Celal Ercan, Fevzi Arslan, Hacı Alağaş and Nureddin Polat, who are elderly and seriously ill. The prison's architectural structure is very harsh for their condition. Moreover, keeping these friends in prison is beyond any conscience. And the current conditions have worsened their health. 

 

CALL TO THE PUBLIC

 

* We are unable to go to hospital due to the requirement to undergo an oral cavity search and to remove our shoes and stamp them on the floor. Even when we do go, our right to treatment is denied as a result of the requirement to be examined in handcuffs. We have reported all of this to the administration, but so far no steps have been taken to resolve the situation. Furthermore, disciplinary investigations have been opened because we covered the camera. Furthermore, since we covered the camera, room searches have been conducted in a manner that seems designed to provoke, with rooms being turned upside down and belongings scattered. We call on all parties to show sensitivity in order to rectify this situation and find a solution.  

 

‘PRESSURE INCREASED’

 

Ayşe Yildirim, sister of Mehmet Emin Ado, who reacted to the violations, said that DAESH, FETÖ and judicial prisoners were placed in the corridor where political prisoners were held in Suluca. Ayşe Yildirim said that prisoners detained for various crimes were disturbing the political prisoners in the evenings, added: "Currently, three people are being held in small rooms, and they cannot meet their needs due to the cramped conditions. All areas they use 24/7 are monitored by camera recordings, there is a lot of pressure, and the food is poor. When objections are raised in this regard, the response is, 'This is how the process is run here, take it or leave it'. My brother has been complaining a lot about this situation for the last month. Previously, when prisoners were in single cells, there was no such tendency. After three people were placed in the same room, the pressure and surveillance increased. There is a strong tendency by prison administrations to make prisoners behave in a way that will harm the process. The rooms where the prisoners are held are still under construction. The maintenance of the rooms has not been completed. They don't even allow them to take care of their personal hygiene.”

 

 

'LET THE VIOLATIONS END'

 

Emphasising that the prisoners and their families believe in the peace process and are trying to remain faithful to it, Ayşe Yildirim said: "We now believe that the prison administration is trying to disrupt the process. Because there is a lot of pressure on the prisoners. We believe in this process and hope it will yield positive results. If they want us to fully believe in this process, these pressures must cease." She called for an end to these violations against prisoners.

 

MA / Heval Onkol