Turkey: Warning hungerstrike

[IG-H at TRILOS.han.de]

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                                                       Hannover, 13.08.97.

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The footsteps of tense days to come are heard in the prisons

By M. Akif Beki / Turkish Daily News
 
Istanbul - Tense days have begun again in the prisons ever since a new
circular was issued by Justice Minister Oltan Sungurlu during his
first few days in charge of the Ministry as part of the new
government.

The circular, dated July 14, drew harsh reactions from prisoners as
well as wardens, and more than 1300 political prisoners went on hunger
strike around the country to protest and prevent the new circular from
coming into force.

Meanwhile, wardens have also begun to raise their voices against this
circular which orders a reduction in direct contact between prisoners
and wardens to end illegal relations between them.

According to the circular, there were illegal relations of mutual
benefit between a few guardians and prisoners, while at the same time
inmates were trying to gain control of the prisons due to a breakdown
in management. For this reason, says the circular, cell doors had to
be kept locked and keys handed over to the wardens' superiors.

The new circular particularly heated up tensions in Bayrampasa Prison,
one of the most volatile prisons in theprison in the country but which
had been quiet for the previous 12 months due the appointment of
prosecutor Necati Ozdemir who introduced humane reforms. The last
incident was shortly after his appointment in July 1996 when a
sensational hunger strike carried out by leftist prisoners resulted in
the death of 12 people.

After this event, prosecutor Ozdemir sought reconciliation between
prisoners and management and Bayrampasa Prison became an example for
the rest.

But these days of calm came to an end with the circular of Justice
Minister Sungurlu, which revealed a secret infight between a group of
wardens and the prosecutor Ozdemir as well as angering prisoners.

The first events occurred after the prosecutor was sent toCapa
Hospital two weeks ago just as the controversial circular was being
issued. A group of wardens who were also members of the Judges' Labor
Union Federation (Tum Yargi-Sen) visited the Justice Minister and made
complaints about the Bayrampasa prison prosecutor. They allegedly told
the Minister that prosecutor Ozdemir weakened the authority of the
wardens in prisons by giving more freedom to prisoners.

Ozdemir rejected these claims and told the TDN that only the interests
of a few wardens had been weakened by his reforms.

The Istanbul Branch Chairman of Tum Yargi-Sen, Ali Yazici, who was
also working in Bayrampasa prison, criticized the circular as well as
the prosecutor. "I don't think that the Justice Minister Sungurlu read
this circular, he just signed it." said Yazici. "No one can write such
things if they really know the conditions in our prisons."

He went on to say that every new minister issues such circulars, but
neither they nor the wardens had been able to solve the fundamental
problems of the prisoners. "If you look at the past you will see that
new problems have arisen after every new circular" continued Yazici.
"And you may not trust the wardens, but I am asking that you do
appreciate the social and economic conditions under which wardens have
been expected to perform their duties."

According to Ali Yazici the demands of the Justice Minister's circular
would not be able to be applied in any event. But Bayrampasa
Prosecutor Ozdemir was anxious to see the demands applied in order to
test them, report on them and criticize them.

During all these events, the prisoners in Bayrampasa took the side of
the prosecutor against the wardens who have opposed him. These
prisoners released a text saying that they declared war against any
kind of illegality including drugs and would not allow such
provocations against the prosecutor.

Nonetheless the tensions seem as if they will continue to rise as the
wardens react to the prosecutor and the Justice Minister, while
prisoners take up positions against the wardens and the Minister and
Prosecutor Ozdemir tries to manage them all. It remains uncertain what
will happen, but it is clear that if Bayrampasa prison explodes then
it will not be so easy to prevent events of the past from happening
again.

- -- 
Press-Agency Ozgurluk: http://www.ozgurluk.org
The struggle for human right, freedom, justice and democracy in Turkey
and Kurdistan
Mailinglistinfo: petidomo at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl

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