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Dear friends:
As you may know, a human
rights tragedy recently unfolded in Turkey. More than a year ago, hundreds
of political prisoners went on hunger strike to protest an unpopular
legislation to replace existing ward-type prisons with cell-based ones,
called F-type, designed to isolate prisoners in one-to-three-person units.
You will find a brief summary of this process below. As of November 5,
2001, the death toll was 74 (32 had been killed during the government's
military operation in December 2000 while a further 42 died as a result of
hunger strikes). As of today (November 9, 2001), the death toll has risen
to 80 (Four more people were killed by security forces in another operation
in an Istanbul neighborhood, Kucukarmutlu, where some supporters and
released prisoners were continuing their hunger strike; two other prisoners
reportedly burned themselves to death as a protest against the operation in
Kucukarmutlu).
We believe: 1) that isolation
cell-type new prisons are inhumane and thus not acceptable; 2) that the
prisoners' human rights have been grossly violated during this process; 3)
that the Turkish government has failed or refused to provide necessary
medical care to the survivors, approaching this issue only from
"national security" and "national image" perspectives
and blatantly disregarding its humanitarian and medical aspects; and 4)
that the survivors are entitled to necessary medical care as any other
human being.
As you will read in the
"Appeal for Donations" released by the supporters of the Human
Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) at the end of October 2001, this human
rights tragedy has also created an urgent need to provide medical care for
the survivors of hunger strike and prison operation. A campaign has
recently been launched to support the survivors' medical care. In Turkey,
hundreds of supporters of the HRFT, including many intellectuals, writers,
journalists who have already joined the campaign, are currently trying to
raise funds to this end.
We, supporters of the HRFT
living in the US, have also started a similar campaign. We kindly ask you:
1. To read the following
"Appeal for Donations";
2. To disseminate this message electronically or otherwise to your friends
and discussion lists, preferably with a personal note of your endorsement;
3. To start similar campaigns in the countries you live in (you may contact
Dr. Metin Bakkalci of the HRFT at tihv@tr.net);
and
4. To make donations to the HRFT by any of the following means:
a) You can send your contribution directly to the
HRFT via a wire transfer. The name and the address of the receiver are as
follows:
Turkiye Insan Haklari Vakfi Genel Merkezi (the
HRFT Central Office)
Menekse 2 sokak No:16/6 Kizilay-Ankara, TURKEY
The recipient's bank account information is as
follows:
Name of the Bank: Vakifbank
Name of the Branch: Yenisehir (in Ankara)
Account numbers:
2001047 (for donations Turkish Lira)
4000310 (for donations in $US)
4000385 (for donations in Deutsche Mark)
b) To avoid paying wire transfer fees for each
single donation, donors living in the US or Canada may send a personal
check or money order payable to Toby Mailman (HRFT) and mail to the
following address:
Toby Mailman, CSW; SHCC
50 Court St, 8th Fl.,
Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
volunteer_hrft_usa@hotmail.com
We will then transfer the
donations we receive to the HRFT in one or two sum totals.
Please provide your e-mail and
mailing addresses so that we can notify you when we receive your donation.
The HRFT will also send you an official invoice regarding your donation.
Thank you in advance for your
support.
Best regards,
US Friends of HRFT
APPEAL FOR DONATIONS
(Released by HRFT Supporters in Istanbul)
In October 2000, 865 political
prisoners in 18 prisons in Turkey went on a hunger strike to protest
against the F-type prison system that is designed to isolate prisoners from
each other in small cells. In two months, this number rose to 1,423. On
December 19, 2000, the government launched a military operation
("Return to Life") in 20 prisons, resulting in the deaths of 32
people died of burns, CO poisoning, and firearm wounds and hundreds were
injured. After this operation, 490 prisoners were transferred to various F
type prisons. Some prisoners were maltreated or tortured during this
process. In the last 10 months, 42 hunger strikers lost their lives.
From May 2001 onwards the
government began to temporarily release critically ill prisoners for a
period of six months. So far, about 300 hunger strikers have been released.
At present about 1,200 prisoners throughout the country are on hunger
strike. Many of them are in critical condition.
Since their release, over 280
hunger strikers have sought treatment from the Human Rights Foundation of
Turkey (HRFT). Many showed signs of central nervous system damage,
including loss of memory, sight, hearing, and ability to walk. This
condition, if untreated, often evolves into a serious brain disease known
as "Wernicke-Korsakoff" syndrome. This illness may disable the
person for life and thus requires early intervention and specialized care.
The HRFT also receives
referrals for survivors with extensive burns, firearm wounds, and shrapnel
injuries that were sustained during the December 2000 operation. The HRFT
organizes inpatient and/or outpatient medical services for the hunger
strikers, including a full medical examination, laboratory tests, surgical,
neurological, and psychiatric treatments, and physical rehabilitation. As
of November 1, 2001, these services have cost about $110,000 for 280
survivors. This is likely to increase, given the need for long-term care
for the survivors. We have estimated that the average cost of long-term
treatment for one survivor is $1,000. The annual cost of proving care for
survivors is thus likely to be around $280,000. These figures do not
include additional funding needs that are likely to arise in the near
future because of continuing hunger strikes.
The HRFT is a non-governmental
organization that is well-known and respected in Turkey and abroad. Its
activities are supported by charitable donations and various international
organizations such as the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, the
European Commission, the Swedish Support Committee of Human Rights in
Turkey, the Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression, and the Finnish
Psychological Association. Since its founding 11 years ago, the HRFT has
provided legal, medical, and psychiatric care for 6,000 survivors of
torture.
Funding needs of the HRFT have
substantially increased as a result of the recent hunger strikes, which
appear likely to continue for many more months or even years. We,
therefore, launched an 'Appeal for Solidarity' on July 19, 2001, inviting
donations from all concerned individuals and organizations. We believe
that, with your support, we can help many survivors stay alive, prevent
them from being affected by disabling medical conditions, and reduce their
suffering. Thank you.
Supporters of the HRFT
(Istanbul, Turkey)
TIHV Genel Merkezi (Central
Office): Menekse 2 Sok. No: 16/6 Kizilay / Ankara
Phone: 90-312-425 45 52
E-mail: tihv@tr.net
Web Site: www.tihv.org.tr
TIHV Ist. Temsilciligi
(Istanbul Branch): Hocazade Sok. No: 8, Beyoglu
Phone: 90-212-249 30 92
E-mail: ihvist@turk.net
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