WAN - Stating that “Esat Oktay Yıldıran practices” are in effect in prisons in Serhat, IHD Wan Branch Co-Chair Lawyer Mehmet Salih Coşkun stated that speaking Kurdish is prevented. 

 

In prisons where isolation policies are deepened, a new violation of rights is being experienced every day. In recent months, the phones of prisoners who speak Kurdish to their families during phone calls have been turned off and all rights of prisoners have been almost suspended. Human Rights Association (IHD) Wan Branch Co-Chair lawyer Mehmet Salih Coşkun, who visited prisons in Serhat (Eastern Anatolia region) and met with many prisoners, stated that he observed an increase in violations every time he visited prisons. 

 

IHD Wan Branch Co-Chair lawyer Mehmet Salih Coşkun

 

Stating that the conditions in prisons are getting worse day by day, Coşkun said that prisons are trying to cut off prisoners’ communication with each other and with the outside world. Noting that the situation they detected in prisons is against national and international law, Coşkun stated that one of the most important violations is access to the right to health.  “Prisoners are either not referred to hospitals at all or their referrals are made late,” he said. 

 

OBSTACLE TO SPEAKING KURDISH

 

Pointing out that a policy has been developed against Kurdish-speaking prisoners in recent months, Coşkun noted that the practices of the 1980 coup were tried to be kept alive and said “It was a move made with the perspective of Esat Oktay Yıldıran (A commander who tortured prisoners in Diyarbakır Prison in 80’s) and his derivatives who acted with the slogan 'Speak Turkish, speak a lot'. This is definitely against national and international legislation and human rights. They already have a short meeting of 10-15 minutes, but they are prevented and banned because a Kurdish word is mentioned. Prisoners are prevented from speaking Kurdish with their families, they are not allowed to sit next to each other, they are not allowed to touch each other, and when Kurdish is spoken on the phone, it is suddenly turned off. These are against the law. The violations in prisons in the 80s and 90s are almost exactly the same and a policy made in that spirit is in effect. These policies are an approach that may cause outrage in society.”

 

Stating that isolation policy is applied in High Security and S Type prisons, Coşkun said that these prisons must be closed. 

 

CALL TO AUTHORITIES

 

Coşkun said that the whole society should be sensitive to the isolation policy against prisoners and made the following call to the authorities: “Execution processes in prisons must be carried out in accordance with international legislation. All practices such as ill-treatment, torture, strip searches or mouth searches on the way to the infirmary or hospital must be stopped immediately.”