Prisoners attacked by security forces in Turkish prisons
 

HALKIN HUKUK BUROSU

(People's lawyers office)

PRESS RELEASE

20 December 2000  4.30pm

On 19 december 2000 the prisoners on death fast have been attacked by the security forces. According to the news we have received the prisoners have burned themselves when these attacks started. At the time of writing (4pm) the military operation is still going on in Canakkale and Umraniye prisons.

UMRANIYE. The operation began yesterday at dawn and it is still going on. These morning six bus of the Jandarma, two lorries and some excavators arrived at the prison. Ahmet Ibili who was on the first team of hunger strikers set himself on fire and run towards the soldiers: he was shot dead by the soldiers. One soldier died. The operation is still on.

BAYRAMPASA. The operation began yesterday at dawn and ended last night. First we heard that Rehsen Kevser lost her live. Those who were transferred to the hospital have said that six prisoners who allegedly set themselves on fire in the prison have infact been set on fire by soldiers who threw petrol at them. 14 prisoners have known to have died but in the hospital morgue there are 15 bodies. And some bodies are reported to be still in the prison cells. The prisoners who have survived the attacks have been transferred to the isolation prisons of Edirne and Gebze. 45 prisoners have been transferred to women and juvenile prison in Bakirkoy. Nilufer Arcan, Cengiz Calikoparan, Murat Ordekci, Ali Ates, Mustafa Yilmaz, and another prisoner who was so badly burned that it was impossible to identify him, have died.

BUCA. 6 prisoners have been transferred to the Ataturk hospital and are badly injured. They are: Baris Yildirim, Umit Kanli, Abdullah Bozdag, Serhat Karaduman and Celal Alpay.

CANAKKALE. The operation began yesterday at dawn and is still going on. Prisoners Fidan Kalsen and Dursun Onder lost their lives. Confirmation of their death came from the medical association of Turkey.

BARTIN. 4 prisoners on hunger strike have allegedly set themselves on fire and are badly hurt in Ankara hospital. They are: Cemalettin Polat, Ali Koc, Hamit Suren, Cem Gocer. Cem Gocer has serious injuries on his head. 24 prisoners have been transferred in Ankara Sincan prison. 16 prisoners are in the hospital and are refusing any medical treatment. Rabbena Haneder and Huseyin Ozarslan who were taken from the prison have disappeared. Ahmet Yildz has a very serious injure on his eye. Mustafa Erkan, Metin XX, Huseyin Canbas have reported a broken leg and arm and are badly injured.

CANKIRI. The operation has ended. Hasan Gungormez who was originally reported dead is infact badly injured in Ankara hospital. Irfan Ortakci who set himself on fire died in Ankara hospital. 15 prisoners have been transferred to Cankiri hospital. Lawyers from Ankara lawyers association have gone to Cankiri.

USAK. The operation has ended. Sevgi Erdogan, Vicdan Sahin, Beritan Bickilar and two more prisoners are in the hospital and are badly burned all over their bodies. They are refusing any medical treatment.

ANKARA ULUCANLAR. Is the first prison to have been attacked. Atice Yurekli and Fatma Hulya Tumgan have been transferred to Ankara hospital along with ten other women and four men. The doctor association in Ankara are trying to contact them. The prisoners are refusing any treatment.

AYDIN. 8 prisoners are in hospital. 6 of them were on death fast. They have serious injuries in the arms and legs. Two of them have injuries on the head. Hospital doctors took them to the operation theatre. We have six names: Suat Karabulut, Sinan Eren, Burhan Gardas, Murat Coban, Baris Kaya, Ilhan Demirel.

BURSA. The operation has ended. Murat Ozdemir and Ali Ishan Ozkan have died. Their bodies have been sent to Duzce and Corum. 20 prisoners are in Bursa prison while the others have been transferred to Edirne and Izmit prisons.

CEYHAN KURKCULER. 26 prisoners have been transferred at Adana hospital and are not in serious conditions. Some have injuries on their heads. In the state hospital there are 33 prisoners: two are in critical conditions. We don’t have their names. Halil Onder who was in the first team on death fast of Ceyhan prison has set himself on fire and his condition are critical.

NIGDE. Some prisoners have been transferred to Ankara hospital (no names or numbers) while others have been transferred to Sincan prison.

GEBZE. According to media reports there are not dead.

MALATYA. Prisoners where prevented from wearing head bands during visits before the operation. There are no news since the operation.

According to the latest news the number of dead prisoners is 15.

78 are the injured. 187 prisoners on death fast and 634 on hunger strike have been given some kind of medical treatment or have been force fed. 24 prisoners have been transferred from Bartin to Sincan prison. 4 from Nevsheir. In total there have been 234 prisoners transferred. 70 from Aydin to Izmir, and from Istanbul to Edirne.

These are official reports as at 4.30pm.