DEVRIMCI HALK KURTULUS CEPHESI
REVOLUTIONARY PEOPLE’S LIBERATION FRONT
November 25, 2000 | Statement: 132
OUR APPEAL TO THE WORLD
Our appeal is to all forces and institutions in the world which are on the side of human rights, the law and justice and against fascism. Resistance is continuing in the prisons of Turkey. This resistance started on October 20 when nearly 1,000 prisoners submitted their bodies to hunger. And on November 19, 99 prisoners continued with a DEATH FAST.
The resistance in the prisons of Turkey expects your support. The resistance expects the support of all the peoples of the world, revolutionary, democratic and progressive institutions and human rights organisations.
The resistance is appealing to all the peoples of the world to join its resistance to fascism. In the name of those who are resisting and marching towards death, we seek to send this appeal to the entire world.
On November 19, that is, on the 30th day, the action was turned into a DEATH FAST, and today is the 37th DAY! Now, 99 revolutionary prisoners are on the DEATH FAST.
75 male captives and 24 women prisoners are marching towards death.
WHAT DO THE REVOLUTIONARY PRISONERS WANT?
WHY DID THEY GO ON THE DEATH FAST?
Let us briefly summarise their demands:
1 – They want the immediate closure of the “special” prisons, called the ‘F’ Type prisons, created from isolation cells, designed to deprive prisoners of their revolutionary personality and to more conveniently inflict torture and death upon them. These prisons are meant to isolate all inmates and are in fact torture centres patented in the USA.
2 – They want the immediate abolition of Law No. 3713, called the Anti-Terror Law, a law designed to obstruct every form of struggle by the people and every attempt by them to organise themselves. This is the sort of law which means that trade unionists and workers can be branded “terrorists”, and those who say hello to a revolutionary can be thrown in prison for “aiding terrorism”. This is the sort of law which has given legal underpinning to the murder of thousands of people over the past decade. This law is the law of the torturers and the death squads.
3 – They want the abolition of the courts known as the State Security Courts which legitimise illegality and protect torturers and mafia members, while at the same illegally and without proof sentencing revolutionaries to death or decades in prison.
4 – They want those responsible for murdering three prisoners in Buca Prison (1995), four prisoners in Umraniye (1996), 10 prisoners in Diyarbakir (1996) and 10 prisoners in Ulucanlar (1999) to be brought to judgement, along with those who tortured prisoners in the course of operations carried out at various dates. In short, they want justice, democracy and humane living conditions in their country. In Turkey, for the sake of these demands, 99 prisoners are marching towards death. 37 days have passed in which they have paid the price of hunger. There is a strong possibility that they will begin to die after 50 days have elapsed. From the 60th day onward, each day will be a “day of death”.
This is our appeal to the world: Prevent Their Deaths!
SUPPORT THIS JUST AND HONOURABLE RESISTANCE!
THE DEMOCRATIC RESISTANCE TO THE PRO-AMERICAN FASCIST AUTHORITIES
In Turkey, in the prisons and in every area we are conducting a grim struggle for democracy against the authorities, who are fascists backed by the USA. The decision to throw political prisoners and convicts into the cells was not taken by the Justice Ministry nor by the prison administrations, it was taken by the MGK (National Security Council). And in our country the MGK is the means whereby the army expresses its dominance.
The racist and fascist party the MHP (Nationalist Movement Party – “Grey Wolves”) has taken its place in the pro-American government, and to implement MGK decisions has unleashed one massacre and provocation in the prisons after another. It is continuing to do so.
On September 26, 1999, 10 prisoners were slaughtered at Ulucanlar for refusing to accept the cell-type prisons. To legitimise throwing prisoners into the ‘F’ Type prisons, mafiosi in the jails were encouraged to start rebellions. In every incident it was the revolutionary prisoners who paid the price.
The prisoners in the resistance are waging a democratic struggle against a fascist government.
To all individuals and institutions on the side of democracy, freedom, human rights and justice, all revolutionary, democratic and progressive organisations!
THERE ARE MANY THINGS YOU CAN DO.
All institutions and organisations in your countries can organise demonstrations and solidarity hunger strikes. Faxes, e-mails and letters can be sent to the Justice Ministry of Turkey and other relevant institutions. (At the end of our statement details of institutions are given.) Internet sites of organisations and institutions can be used to make the resistance more widely known and increase support for it. The prisoners in the resistance expect your solidarity.
DO NOT WAIT FOR THEIR DEATHS!
Support this struggle against fascism and for justice and freedom! Choose ways convenient to you of protesting against the consulates of Turkey which exist in your countries. Support the hunger strikes and demonstrations taking place in Europe. Our supporters in a number of European countries are continuing, through various associations and mass organisations, to plan and carry out hunger strikes, demonstrations and marches. Among them too are people who have gone on the Death Fast. Our supporters in the prisons of Europe are also on hunger strike. Unite your own strength with theirs.
HUNDREDS ARE PREPARED TO JOIN THE DEATH FAST!
The resistance of the revolutionary prisoners is a heroic resistance, a matter of honour for all revolutionaries and progressives. At the moment, in 17 prisons in our country about 900 revolutionary prisoners are on hunger strike. In 13 prisons, 99 prisoners have started the DEATH FAST. The breakdown of the prisoners and convicts on the Death Fast according to the court proceedings opened against them (note: for alleged membership of a particular “illegal organisation”) is as follows:
63 – DHKP-C: Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front; 30 – TKP(ML): Communist Party of Turkey (Marxist-Leninist) and 6 – TKIP: Communist Workers’ Party of Turkey.
75 of the Death Fasters are men and 24 are women. They are marching towards death. The figures we have given are for the FIRST TEAM OF DEATH FASTERS. Hundreds of revolutionary prisoners have volunteered for the Death Fast and are applying to their organisations to take part.
According to the action programme of the revolutionary prisoners, SECOND and THIRD DEATH FAST TEAMS and yet further ones will start. The decision taken by our comrades in the prisons is very clear:
“WE WILL DIE BUT WE WILL NOT GO INTO THE ISOLATION CELLS!”
THEY WILL WIN OR THEY WILL DIE!
The resisters are marching to their deaths for their political identity and their honour. To help them win we must mobilise our own strength. Do not wait for their deaths! It is obvious what will happen if their demands are not accepted. The determination of the prisoners is beyond question. They are part of a tradition of “doing what they say and defending what they do”. In 1984, to stop the introduction of prison uniforms, they lay down to die and did die. Four revolutionary prisoners were martyred. In 1996, when the introduction of cell-type prisons was again brought on the agenda, thousands of prisoners and convicts started resistance and 12 revolutionary prisoners were martyred, creating a legend of heroism. In the event that today’s demands are not accepted, they will give new martyrs but again they will win!
The victory of the resistance will be the victory of justice and of everyone who defends freedom, the victory of all the revolutionaries, progressives, democrats, defenders of human rights and all the world’s peoples. THIS IS OUR APPEAL
Let us get moving and be able to win victory without giving dozens of martyrs!
ALL FORCES WHICH ARE AGAINST FASCISM AND IMPERIALISM!
This is an appeal by the DHKP-C to the entire world. 99 prisoners are marching towards death. and hundreds more are following in the footsteps of their great heroism.
Members of prisoners’ families who are not themselves in jail have also lain down to die and joined the Death Fast. Turkey is a country where a great price is paid to continue the revolutionary struggle. We have been paying this price for years. But we have not abandoned the defence of democracy, justice, freedom, revolution and socialism, not even for a moment.
Again we are part of a great resistance to fascism in Turkey. We are resisting fascism for the sake of democracy.
99 PRISONERS ARE MARCHING TOWARDS DEATH.
This great heroism, this great self-sacrifice, this great and deep belief, increases the burden borne by the consciences, morality and political responsibility of all who describe themselves as human beings.
We appeal to all those who believe in justice and freedom to take up their responsibilities!
In the prisons of Turkey we are adding new pages to the pages recounting the honourable and heroic resistance of the world’s peoples to fascism. We are writing history.
Once again we announce with all the strength of our belief and our resolution:
THOSE WHO RESIST WILL WIN!
DEVRIMCI HALK KURTULUS CEPHESI
1 – From their Internet sites, the DHKC Bureaus of Belgium, Holland and England are capable of informing you day by day of developments, actions, the health situation of the prisoners, and through the statements issued by our Party-Front. These sites can also be used to contact us and send messages and questions. Messages will immediately be examined.
The addresses of our DHKC Bureaus
DHKC Bureau, Belgium
E-mail addresses:
Internet site – www.dhkc.org
Telephone and fax numbers:
Tel: Tel/Fax: Fax:
Address:
DHKC Bureau, England
E-mails:
Telephone and fax numbers: Telephone: Fax:
Address:
Amsterdam, Holland
Press Agency Ozgurluk
Internet site: www.ozgurluk.org
Telephone and fax numbers tel/fax
Address:
2 – Also, in connection with the resistance, there is the Internet site of the prisoners’ families in Turkey (TAYAD) as well as the IKM site in Europe (Committee For Struggle Against Torture Through Isolation), and information can also be obtained from these.
(TAYAD): www.hucreiskencedir.cjb.net
IKM in Turkish – www.hucreiskencedir.de IKM in English – http://www.noisolation.de www.ozgurluk.org
3 – To support the resistance and protest against fascism in Turkey’s ‘F’ Type prison policy, faxes can be sent to the following institutions:
Republic of Turkey Prime Minister’s Office: Tel 0090 312 417 0476, Fax 0090 312 434 2110
Republic of Turkey Justice Ministry: Fax :0090 312 414 6257
Republic of Turkey Interior Ministry: Tel: 0090 312 425 4080, Fax: 0090 312 418 7696
