DHKC Press Bureau

Statement No.: 187 | Date: May 28, 2001

Ugur TURKMEN, who struck another blow against the moral values and the culture of the oligarchy, has fallen martyr. Ugur Turkmen was a political prisoner. Then he was released. In accordance with the decision to resist, he continued his death fast action after his release. For 204 days he had represented all that is positive about being a revolutionary and in values of our people and our country.
He fell martyr on May 27, 2001 in his home in Mersin.

For 221 days our comrades have been dying. For 221 days our comrades have been resisting.
For 221 days our comrades have been writing history: with their great strength of will, their belief in socialism, their love for the people and the homeland, these revolutionaries in their tiny cells have their minds firmly locked on victory.
For the last 221 days we have been creating an epic story in which each moment is full of heroism and self-sacrifice. This is the heroic tale of the path to liberation of the people of Turkey. This heroic tale shows that there is no other way but to resist against fascism.

Our comrades are breaking new ground. In each moment of these 221 days, which are engraved on the golden pages of the history of the resistance of the peoples of Turkey and the World, a it is becoming a custom to achieve new heights in the struggle.

Here is another ‘first’; our comrade Ugur TURKMEN continued the death fast resistance after being released and now has fallen martyr.

He was a Party-Front (DHKP-C) captive in Ceyhan prison before the massacre on December 19, 2000. He volunteered to take part in the second team of Death Fast fighters resisting against the IMF’s F-type prisons. He survived the massacre, which the authorities carried out with their bombs, fire and gunpowder. After that he was put in the cells of Sincan Nazi concentration camp. He said ‘resistance until we win’. He continued his action saying ‘resistance until victory’. He was released on January 5, 2001.

This was the mutual decision of the Death Fast fighters. ‘The released Death Fast fighters will continue their action outside the prisons, too’. Comrade Ugur continued his action at his home in Mersin.

The resistance of Ugur Turkmen has demolished the demagogy about there being ‘pressure from the illegal organisations’. Every cell of his dying body exposed the deception. With every cell of his dying body he has struck a blow to the enemy’s face for 204 days.

Two hours before he fell martyr, his last wish from his elder sister was for her to chant a slogan. He made her chant ‘Long Live Our Death Fast Resistance!’

His body was outside the prisons but every beat of his heart was with his comrades in the cells.
We represent all the traditions of the people and the revolution and all that is positive in them:
Being trustworthy? Here is Ugur TURKMEN. He did not abandon his headband, which was given to him during the time of his captivity.

Comradeship? Here is our Ugur.

Being faithful to socialism, the homeland and the people? Here is our Ugur.
In a World where propaganda about being individual is everywhere, being a part of an organisation despite facing death? Here is Ugur TURKMEN.
He complied with the decision of the resistance adopted by the DHKP-C Captives Organisation, even though he was been released from prison to the relative freedom’ outside. He did not retreat from the commitment to march until death for our beliefs.
Being a life-long comrade? Here is our Ugur. He embraced his comrades until death.
Having the spirit of self-sacrifice? Here is our Ugur. He sacrificed his life for thousands of his comrades and millions of his people whose faces, voices and names were not known to him.

Ugur TURKMEN became the latest and bravest representative of the patience of the prophet Eyup, the dedication of Yunus who faced sorrow for the ‘path’, the sacrificial fighters of Hasan Sabbah, the determination of Pir Sultan who said ‘let them all retreat; I will not retreat from the path I have chosen’, the bravery of Imam Huseyin who said ‘I will never bow down to tyranny’, of Borkluce Mustafa who refused to abandon his beliefs even though they shred his body to pieces, of Nesimi who was skinned for the same reason and of the Anatolian peasants who fought against imperialism with their bare hands. We have thousands of Ugur Turkmens.

None of the methods of tyranny can break our resistance.
They massacred but could not achieve success. They tortured them and threw them into the isolation cells but resistance continued.
The fascist state has used all the methods of tyranny since the Ottoman Empire and whichever method of torture and psychological warfare that they learnt from the USA and the other imperialists. But they have not been able to stop the resistance.
Our deaths have become fireballs exploding in the oligarchy’s mind. Our resistance has brought the truth about the fascist character of the Turkish State to the attention of the rest of the world. Our people and the peoples of the world have witnessed the invincibility of revolutionaries. The entire world has seen and understood that there is no other way forward but to face all the costs and resist against the rulers of Turkey. Everyone who wants to right live in accordance their own beliefs, who demands their rights and freedoms and who want a democratic country, must somehow resist and participate in the resistance.
The only weapon the ministry of justice possesses is to leave the prisoners crippled and convert them into the living dead by destroying their memories, rather than murder them outright. There is no point to their doing this. None of their methods have worked. The savagery of this latest form of intervention of yours will not work either. The entire world will find out the truth about this latest savagery of yours, too. You will find out that none of your methods will succeed in changing the minds of revolutionaries and you will bow down to the determination of the resistance.

You are defeated. You have admitted your defeat on many occasions. Nor will your attempt to cover up your defeat by saying, ‘we are the state we do not negotiate’ save you. You were defeated at our comrades’ barricades on the morning of December 19. You were defeated by the burning bodies of our Fidan , Ibili, Hasan and Irfan. You were defeated inside and outside the prisons when we tore the weapon of death from your hands.

You have been defeated by our Ugur who resists for 204 days from captivity to freedom.
You have been defeated when only 8 out of 2000 captives accepted your deception about an amendment to the statute.
You have been defeated by our organisation of captives who continue to work inside the F-type prisons, too, as happens everywhere and under all conditions.

All those who are against tyranny and for law order and justice hear Ugur TURKMEN’s voice, which could not be silenced by tyranny.

His voice is the voice of independence, democracy and socialism against fascism.
His voice is the voice of freedom of thought.
His voice is the voice of self-sacrifice and the rejection of selfishness.
To hear his voice is to take the side of the great resistance, which has been continuing for 221-days.
To hear his voice is to oppose the destruction of the resisters’ memories, turning them into the living dead and leaving them crippled.

HIS LAST SLOGAN WILL BE OUR VICTORY SLOGAN: Long Live Our Death Fast Resistance.

Comrade Ugur TURKMEN was born on April 23, 1972 in Yenice, Tarsus-Mersin. He was the fourth of six brothers and sisters. He is Turkish and Alevite. He became aware of the struggle in 1993 during the time of his higher education. He participated in the struggle and the organisation of revolutionary youth when he was a student in the civil engineering department of Burdur Occupational High school. This system had to be changed. And he decided he should do more for this cause. He left the school towards the end of 1996 and began to work in the office of the Kurtulus (Liberation) newspaper in Mersin. Until the end of 1998 he represented the newspaper. He became more revolutionary by the day, he renewed himself and his life style. Because for him the Cephe (DHKC) was ‘the developing family, which covers everyone who, is for humanity in the revolutionary struggle and which is creating a new culture’. During this period he faced threats and pressure from the police on many occasions. He was tortured many times. He was detained during the commemoration of Ali Tarik Kocoglu in July 1996 and at the assembly of KESK (Union of Civil Servants) in Ankara on December 14, 1996.

He was sentenced to 3 years and 9 months imprisonment in April 28, 1998. He stayed in Mersin, Kurkculer (Adana) and Gaziantep prisons. The last time he was in Ceyhan prison. When the F-type prisons and consequently the Death Fast resistance came onto the agenda, he volunteered without hesitation. He took part in the second team of Ceyhan prison Death Fast fighters. He was in Ceyhan prison on the morning of December 19. He resisted together with his comrades against the savage attacks. He was taken to Sincan F-type prison. He continued his action in Sincan in spite of torture and isolation. He was released on January 5, 2001. He continued his action after his release. He united the prisons with the outside world. He achieved a ‘first’ during the death fast resistance. Everything was clear for him. In one of his latest letters, he said: ‘I have no hesitation about martyrdom and the Death Fast. The victory will come with our martyrs. I am also advancing along this path. I will welcome martyrdom with pride and honour. As our Death Fast martyr Halil Onder said – let my life be sacrificed for our people and our country.’

WE WILL ACHIEVE VICTORY WITH OUR THOUSANDS OF UGURS!

LONG LIVE OUR DEATH FAST RESISTANCE!

DEVRIMCI HALK KURTULUS CEPHESI

REVOLUTIONARY PEOPLE’S LIBERATION FRONT

2001.05.28