ANKARA - "If a process is to begin, ill prisoners must first be released," said Mehmet Şerif Demir, member of the Central Council of the Turkish Medical Association.

 

Following Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society", the eyes of the government and the state have turned to the process. After the call, the PKK announced in a statement that it had declared a ceasefire. Therefore, after Abdullah Öcalan's call, the eyes of the public turned to the concrete steps to be taken by the government. Many representatives of political parties and civil society organisations called on the government and the state to take steps.

 

According to the data of the Human Rights Association (IHD) in 2021, there are at least 1,517 ill prisoners in prisons, 651 of whom are seriously ill. According to the data of the same organisation, at least 50 ill prisoners died in the first nine months of 2024.

 

Making evaluations in this context, Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Central Council Member Mehmet Şerif Demir stated that not releasing ill prisoners is a political decision.

 

'WAR IS A PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM'

 

Demir stated that a democratic Turkey is needed for a democratic and accessible health system for all and said, "The biggest problem in the health system is antidemocratic practices. The current health system does not cure the people, on the contrary, it makes them sicker. When we say that another health system is possible, we also say that another country is possible. We do not only look at health physically and spiritually. We believe that being healthy is a right and we define the right to be healthy as a state of social, physical and political well-being. Therefore, we know that society cannot be healthy as long as there is no democratic environment and peace in a country and as long as war continues. That is why we said 'War is a public health problem' and opposed the war. We have always expressed that in order for there to be peace, there must be a healthy state of health and a healthy society in order for health care to work."

 

Drawing attention to the situation of ill prisoners, Demir added, "In order to have a health system, we everywhere express our demand for qualified, equal, free treatment in mother tongue. In order to fulfil these demands, first of all, peace must come to these lands. Health is a constitutional right, and in order for this right to be exercised by everyone, the state has an obligation to provide it. We are also trying to voice the problems faced by prisoners in prison. In the current system, ill prisoners have lost many people due to their chronic illnesses. In order for these people to have access to the constitutional right to health, they should not be in prison. Due to the current political approach, ill and political prisoners are experiencing various problems. They are held in prisons even though they are in conditions that they cannot stay in prison with hospital reports. We know very clearly that this situation is not independent from the political approach. If a process is to begin, ill prisoners must first be released. Again, all obstacles to access to health care must be removed and appropriate health care must be provided."