Mothers of prisoners: Remove the isolation, end violations of rights 

2021-06-09 13:37:35


	İZMİR - Mothers whose children are on a rotating hunger strike in prisons demanded the isolation to me lifted and violations of rights to end. Calling for joint struggle, mothers said: "We must have a voice against this plunder, oppression and cruelty."

	The hunger strikes in prisons launched against the isolation on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and violations of rights in prisons entered day 195. While authorities remain unresponsive to the demands of the hunger strikers, families of the prisoners called for solidarity. 

	 

	Hanife Gümüş, mother of Mehmet Nezir Gümüş, held in Bandırma Balıkkesir No 1 Type T Prison told that her son is in prison for the last 23 years and she wasn't able to see her son for a year due to the pandemic. Underlining that her son's demands are her demands as well, Gümüş said: "They are on hunger strike and no body cares about them. The government doesn't ask how they are doing. I am calling on the authorities to meet the demands so that the hunger strike ends." 

	 

	WE ARE CRYING OUR EYES OUT 

	 

	Speaking on behalf of all mothers, Gümüş said: "Let's unite. Let's go to the president, let's go to the prison gates and end this bloodshed. We are crying our eyes out. No mother should cry anymore. I wonder if Emine Erdoğan can go to sleep without speaking to her children a few times a day. Aren't the Kurdish children and their mothers humans? I am calling on to the Ministry of Justice. Release the sick prisoners. There are thousands of sick prisoners who are on the brink of death. We, the Kurds, hurt everytime someone leaves the prison inside of a coffin."

	 

	'WE MUST RAISE OUR VOICES'

	 

	Fatma Sürme, mother of Bünyamin Sürme being held in Kırıklar Prison said: "Silence is hard. We have to raise our voices for all prisoners. We have to stand against the pressure on our children and support them. We must have a voice against this plunder, oppression and cruelty."

	 

	'MOTHERS SHOULD JOIN HANDS'

	 

	Co-chair of the Association for Assistance and Solidarity with the Families Who Lost their Relatives in Anatolia (AN-YAKAYDER) Sultan Yagmekan said, “This is tearing our hearts out, we must join hands. Kurds must unite. We need to get our children out of prisons. It's time to raise our voices. No one hears our voice. We want our children's voices to be heard."