YAZGÜLÜ GÜDER ÖZTÜRK (DHKP-C)

Born January 15, 1972, in Dersim(Tunceli) (Northern Kurdistan / East Turkey). Kurdish nationality, the family are followers of the Alevi branch of Islam. She became a revolutionary in 1990, working in office of newspaper Mucadele (Struggle). First imprisoned in 1991, for seven months. On release,  she was involved in democratic activities. Arrested again in 1996. Volunteered for Death Fast in that year but was not selected on that occasion. Became Death Fast resister in the year 2000. Martyred in Bayrampasa Prison.

FIRAT TAVUK (DHKP-C)

Born in Manisa, western Turkey in 1971. Joined the revolutionary struggle in 1994. Imprisoned in 1995. He took part in every form of prison resistance. Joined the Third Death Fast Team in 1996. In the year 2000, joined First Death Fast Team. He said that as a Death Fast volunteer, he was ready to push the resistance on to the end. Martyred in Bayrampasa Prison. After his death, when his surviving comrades were being marched away by gendarmes, they shouted out “Comrade Firat is immortal!” in spite of the presence of their guards.

AŞUR KORKMAZ (DHKP-C)

Born in Istanbul, 1972, Turkish nationality, family Alevis. He became actively involved with organisation in 1990. First arrested at May Day demonstration in 1991. Imprisoned for three and a half months. Many of the people he knew at school became martyrs and this deepened his commitment. He was involved in organising in the Nurtepe area of Istanbul. After being sent to prison, he joined the First Death Fast Team. At the ceremony, he declared that he wanted a revolution to create a People’s Republic of Anatolia that would be like a glowing torch of opposition to imperialism. Martyred in Bayrampasa Prison.

BERRİN BIÇKILAR (DHKP-C)

Born in Izmir, western Turkey in 1978. She is from Turkish nationality, family belong to Sunni (main) branch of Islam. She came to know revolutionaries in 1994 and was involved in the high school branch of Dev-Genc (Revolutionary Youth). Was imprisoned later that year. Volunteered for 1996 Death Fast but wish was not granted until the Death Fast of the year 2000, when she joined the First Death Fast Team. At the ceremony, greeted “the workers and peasants, students and older labourers, young and old, men and women and all our people,” and embraced “all the peoples of Anatolia, Turk, Kurd, Laz, Circassians and Arab.” She was badly injured when the December 19 attack was made on Usak Prison(Western Turkey) and she was already at an advanced stage of the Death Fast. She lost consciousness, woke up in hospital to find she had been put on a serum drip-feed. She disconnected the tube and died.

HALİL ÖNDER (DHKP-C)

Born in Osmaniye-Duzici, southern Turkey, in 1970. Joined Dev-Genc at Ankara University in 1989 while a student of veterinary surgery. Imprisoned in 1992. He became First Death Fast Team resister in 2000 in Ceyhan Prison. At the ceremony, he said, “I feel the greatest happiness in being a revolutionary. We are doing the most beautiful, noble and moral work in the world. I am proud of this.” He was severely wounded by his attackers when the operation against Ceyhan Prison took place. He refused medical treatment and was martyred.

İLKER BABACAN (DHKP-C)

Born in Istanbul in 1978. He came from an impoverished family. Started work after leaving primary school (going to secondary school is not compulsory in Turkey and involves the payment of fees – the poor often start work immediately after finishing primary school). After becoming a revolutionary, was active in various areas. Imprisoned in 1996. Joined Third Death Fast Team in Canakkale Prison, saying, “I will not sell my people or my comrades for a bowl of soup or a container of serum.” Martyred in bitter resistance by prisoners to state’s attack on Canakkale Prison.

ALP ATA AKÇAYÖZ (DHKP-C)

Born in 1971 in Kars, extreme eastern part of Turkey. He was a sympathiser of the revolutionary movement and was imprisoned for this. Was martyred in Umraniye Prison.

ERCAN POLAT (DHKP-C)

Born in 1974 in Tunceli. Kurdish by nationality, his family are Alevis. From impoverished background, made a living in workshops manufacturing clothes. Joined the revolutionary movement in 1995, imprisoned in 1996. Wanted to join Death Fast in 2000 but was not accepted. Martyred in Umraniye Prison while fighting heroically against the state’s attack.

ŞEFİNUR TEZGEL (DHKP-C)

Born in Malatya region in 1971, family are Kurdish Alevis. She was sympathetic to the revolutionaries from childhood, like members of her family, and the house was often raided by police and gendarmes. She joined the revolutionary movement in 1992 and the same year was imprisoned for 18 months. She was again arrested in February 1996 and imprisoned in Bayrampasa. Experienced 1996 Death Fast in the prison and was profoundly moved by it. Martyred in state attack on Bayrampasa on December 19, 2000.

GÜLSER TUZCU (DHKP-C)

Born in Kastamonu, northern Turkey, in 1966. She was sympathetic to the revolutionaries from a young age. She joined the revolutionary movement in 1992, was briefly imprisoned in 1995, was freed and then re-arrested the same year. She was imprisoned in Bayrampasa and like Sefinur was profoundly moved by the Death Fast resistance in the prison in 1996, which she wanted to join. During the December 19 attack, she shouted slogans – her only weapon – and was martyred.

SEYHAN DOĞAN (DHKP-C)

Born in Samsun, northern Turkey in 1973. Family Turkish by nationality, Sunni Muslims by religion. She came to Istanbul to study and became acquainted with revolutionaries in 1991. She joined Dev-Genc. She was imprisoned in 1995. Experienced the 1996 Death Fast. During the resistance in 2000, she noted that the prisoners were resisting in order to repel the attacks of fascism and imperialism. Like other women martyrs in Bayrampasa, she was burned to death by the fires caused by the projectiles the state used during the attack.

YASEMİN CANCI (DHKP-C)

Yasemin was captured in 1992 while fighting as a guerrilla in the mountains of the Aegean. Before that, she had been active in DEMKAD (Association of  Womens in Revolutionary Struggle). In 1996 she was in the First Death Fast Team. Later, in 1998, she was the leader of the DHKP-C prisoners in Buca Prison. Despite the long time she spent in prison, she never lost hope or belief. Like Berrin, she was martyred in Usak Prison.

HASAN GÜNGÖRMEZ (DHKP-C)

He was born on August 28, 1964 in the Konya region (south central Turkey). He became sympathetic to the revolutionaries at a very young age. He joined another political movement in 1987. He was imprisoned in 1992 after being put in prison earlier and managing to escape. After his re-capture he joined the DHKP-C. When he joined the Death Fast in the year 2000, he declared himself to be “the happiest human being in the world”. He was badly wounded in the state attack on Cankiri Prison and was martyred nine days later, on the 70th day of the Death Fast.

M. MURAT ÖRDEKÇİ (TKEP-L)

He was born in the Adiyaman region in 1972. He was imprisoned in Bayrampasa as a prisoner from the Communist Labour Party of Turkey-Leninist, and was martyred when the state attacked the prisoners in Bayrampasa. The TKEP-L did not join the Death Fast but they have shown militancy in the prisons and comradeship with other groups, and Murat’s martyrdom shows that they continued to do so.

ALİ İHSAN ÖZKAN (TKP(ML))

First Death Fast Team member in the ranks of the Communist Party of Turkey (Marxist-Leninist)[1]. Born in the Corum region, central Turkey, in 1974. He was imprisoned in Ankara, and after his trial he was brought to Bursa Prison where was martyred. Like the other TKP(ML) prisoners on the Death Fast, he swore to uphold Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.

UMUT GEDİK (DHKP-C)

Umut Gedik was 23 years old. He was born in the city of Trabzon, on the black sea coast in northeastern Turkey. He joined the struggle while he was a high school student. Before being captured by the enemy forces, he was a fighter in the Armed Propaganda Unit(Silahlı Propagan Birliği – SPB).

RIZA POYRAZ (DHKP-C)

Rıza Poyraz, his family, comes from the Sivas province, located in the eastern part of central Turkey. He grew up in Istanbul’s Gazi district. He works as a worker in a sewing workshop, as well as in a workshop for the production of lampshades. After completing his military service in the army of the fascist oligarchy, he made his choice and joined the ranks of the Party – Front.

AHMET İBİLİ (DHKP-C)

Ahmet was born on April 26, 1968 in Mersin province, southern Turkey. He came into contact with revolutionaries at university. From 1991 onwards he was part of the revolutionary struggle. He was imprisoned in 1993, released, and imprisoned again the following year. He was released after five months,and worked for a time in the central office of the newspaper Mucadele. While working in the provinces he was arrested on May Day, 1997 and imprisoned. He continued an honourable struggle in Umraniye Prison until his martyrdom as a First Death Fast Team resister. On the day of the attack, he was one of the first to die, though his comrades in Umraniye held out for several more days. At his Death Fast ceremony, he said, “In this period, the price we will have to pay will be even greater.”

ALİ ATEŞ (DHKP-C)

He was born on February 10, 1970, in Adana, southern Turkey. He started his revolutionary life at university. He was forced to break off his university studies. Up until 1995 he was involved in the revolutionary youth movement in Ankara, and then continued activities in Istanbul. In 1996 he was imprisoned. Up to the moment of his martyrdom in Bayrampasa Prison, he was well to the fore in every act of resistance. When he joined the First Death Fast Team in the prison, he declared that “I feel myself to be ready for a suicide action or a Death Fast action… I want to do whatever is necessary for victory.”

FİDAN KALŞEN (DHKP-C)

Born on January 1, 1964 in Dersim(Tunceli). In 1989 she came into contact with DEMKAD. She was a nurse and worked to organise other health workers. In 1992 and 1994 she was imprisoned for brief periods. In 1995 she was imprisoned after she was arrested while going to the funeral of a guerrilla who  martyred in Dersim. She joined the First Death Fast Team in Canakkale Prison and was martyred on the day of the attack, setting herself on fire rather than risk having her action interrupted. When her body was found, she was still giving the victory sign. At her ceremony, she had said she wanted to follow in the footsteps of the 1984 and 1996 Death Fast martyrs, and she did.

MURAT ÖZDEMİR (DHKP-C)

Born in July 1961 in Istanbul. He belonged to the Cherkess (also known as Circassian) ethnic group. He finished journalism school. He came to know revolutionaries before the 1980 military coup. He worked for a variety of bourgeois newspapers before starting work for the newspaper Mucadele. He was briefly imprisoned in 1992. He was imprisoned again in 1993. He never
submitted and always kept his honour. He was martyred in Bursa Prison on the 61st day of the Death Fast, in which he took part on the First Death Fast Team. At his ceremony, he declared his pride in his ethnic group, calling himself “a dagger of the Cherkess nation” to be used against the enemy.

İRFAN ORTAKÇI (DHKP-C)

Born in the Kalinkaya village, Alaca district of Corum province on January 1, 1971. He became acquainted with revolutionaries in 1991. He was imprisoned in 1993 after involvement in the democratic struggle in Ankara. He joined the First Death Fast Team in Cankiri Prison, was badly wounded on the day of the attack and was martyred the next day. On the day of his ceremony he declared his faith in victory.

CENGİZ ÇALIKOPARAN (DHKP-C)

Born on September 2, 1968 in Istanbul, into an impoverished family. Became acquainted with revolutionaries in 1991. He worked as a labourer and organised among other workers. He was imprisoned in 1994. Cengiz survived the January 1996 Umraniye massacre, in which four fellow DHKP-C prisoners were martyred, but he was severely wounded. He was transported to Bayrampasa Prison and there he was martyred when the state attacked.

MUSTAFA YILMAZ (DHKP-C)

Born in Ordu province on the Black Sea coast in 1968. With his family, he moved to Istanbul and took part in resistance in the left-wing Kucukarmutlu shantytown. From 1991 he was part of the organisation and he worked among other labourers. He was imprisoned and was martyred in Bayrampasa putting up heroic resistance to the state assault.

NİLUFER ALCAN (DHKP-C)

Born in Bolu province east of Istanbul in 1964. From 1987 she was part of the revolutionary struggle. She was detained many times by police while taking part in the democratic struggle. This never deterred her from continuing the revolutionary life because for her no other life was possible or worthwhile. She was imprisoned in Bayrampasa in 1995 and was martyred in the state assault.

ÖZLEM ERCAN (DHKP-C)

Born in Dersim(Tunceli) in 1977. She began to take part in the revolutionary struggle at Istanbul University. She was imprisoned and experienced the 1996 Death Fast resistance. On the day of the assault on Bayrampasa, she distinguished herself by her attempts to protect fellow prisoners who were on the Death Fast, and she was martyred.

CAFER DERELİ (DHKP-C)

The first Death Fast martyr in the year 2000. He was born in Konya province in 1978. For economic reasons he had come to Belgium two years earlier, and after being in another organisation, he had been a DHKP-C supporter for two months, taking part in a number of protests and demonstrations in that short period. He joined a solidarity hunger strike in support of the Death Fast resistance in Rotterdam, Holland, and while doing this, he was martyred during an attack by Turkish fascist gangs on December 9, 2000. Besides comrades from Turkey, Belgian revolutionaries also knew Cafer and grieved at his death.

FAHRİ SARI (PKK-DÇS)

Fahri Sarı was a Kurdish patriot who joined the struggle in the early 1990s. He was captured by the enemy in 1993. He was a member of PKK-DÇS(Worker’s Party of Kurdistan – Fighters of Revolutionary Line), a splinter group from the PKK, which was created as a result of the disagreements between some of the cadres and members of the PKK, about the attitude regarding the ceasefire with the government and other topics.

SULTAN SARI (PKK-DÇS)

Sultan Sarı, despite her young age, she did not hesitate to join the Kurdish patriotic movement in the city of Adana, southern Turkey. She worked among the masses in the region of the Çukurova lowland, in Adana province. She was captured by the enemy in 1993.

Notes: TKP(ML) in the period after 2002 is know as MKP – Maoist Communist Party  (in Turkish Maoist Komünist Partisi).

This translation was prepared by Ozgurluk press agency in 2001.