MUŞ - Democratically elected political representatives of the Kurdish people are systematically imprisoned and transferred to jails far away from their hometowns and constituencies.
The democratically elected co-mayor of Bulanık district of Muş, Adnan Topçu, was arrested on December 17 and replaced by a state-appointed trustee. Topçu was later imprisoned for alleged terrorism charges and put in Muş E Type Closed Prison where he was held in solitary confinement. The co-mayor was transferred to Maraş at the weekend unbeknown to his family.
The Turkish regime has recently accelerated the transfer of jailed Kurdish politicians to western and southern parts of the country in an attempt to keep them away from their homes, families and the people who elected them.
Co-mayor of Varto district of Muş, Ülkü Karaaslan, was similarly dismissed, replaced by a State-appointed trustee and imprisoned in the recent wave of political genocide, has been transferred from Muş to Osmaniye, in southern Turkey, on December 26.
The jailed co-mayor of Van’s Erciş district, Yıldız Çetin, was transferred from the F-type prison in Van to Osmaniye recently. During the twelve-hour journey, her hands remained handcuffed behind her back.
Co-mayor of Mardin’s Kızıltepe district, Nilüfer Elik Yılmaz, was transferred to the T Type Women’s Closed Prison in Mersin’s Tarsus district. The lawyer learned about the transfer only after going to the Mardin prison to meet her.
Mazıdağı co-mayor Nalan Özaydın, Derik co-mayor Mülkiye Esmez and Savur co-mayor Gülistan Öncü who were arrested in the recent operations against HDP municipalities, have also been transferred to Tarsus T Type Women’s Closed Prison.
Former Mayor of Nusaybin, Sara Kaya was also transferred to Tarsus T-Type High Security Closed Prison last Sunday. Kaya has been in prison since 13 January 2017. After being arrested, she was first sent to Mardin E Type Prison and on 17 February 2017 she was transferred to Van T Type Prison. This time she has been transferred to the Tarsus T-Type Closed Prison, about a thousand kilometers away from Van T-Type Closed Prison.
On the other hand, nine political prisoners in Osmaniye T Type Prison have been sent to other prisons.
15 prisoners in Bünyan T Type Prison in Kayseri, were similarly transferred to various prisons on December 27, again unbeknown to their families.