Prisons Ban Book on "Return to Life Operation"

The book with the title "The Return to Life Operation, from the Ward to the Cell" ('Hayata Dönüş Operasyonu, Koğuştan Hücrelere') written by lawyer Güçlü Sevimli was not allowed inside the Sincan No. 1 F Type Prison in Ankara and the Kırıklar No. 1 F Type Prison in Izmir. The book deals with the highly controversial "Return to Life Operation" and the transition period at Turkish F type prisons. It was banned in both prisons by reason of "conveying a bad image of prisons with [smaller] cells".

The "return to life" operation was carried out in December 2000 in Istanbul. The police violently ended the "death fasts" of hundreds of political prisoners who had protested against a transfer from large wardens to F-type cells with only 3 or 4 prisoners.

bianet talked to Sevimli, the author of the book. The lawyer indicated that while the book was banned in the two aforementioned prisons, it was allowed into the Kırıklar No. 2 F Type Prison at the same time. Sevimli explained that the book had not been accepted into the other prisons because is allegedly "showed a 'negative' image of F type prisons and encouraged the convicts to death fasts and to the same kind of actions".

Lawyer Sevimli said that the book had been banned from the Edirne F Type Prison for a long time. Only after personal talks the book was allowed to be handed out to detainees and convicts. Neither is the book subject of a seizure decision nor of a judicial or administrative investigation or any trial procedures.

The 2010 report issued by the Prison Monitoring Commission of the Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD) Istanbul Branch revealed that inmates of F type prisons are deprived of their rights that are actually guaranteed by law. The report is based on the talks of 25 lawyers with 70 detainees and convicts in F type prisons as part of the High Security Prison category.

The study showed that newspapers, magazines and books are forbidden in prisons in an arbitrary manner. According to the law, only the prosecution can decide on print media in prisons. They have to be allowed unless they are subject to a ban or a seizure decision.

Trial opened after ten years

In his book "The Return to Life Operation, from the Ward to the Cell", lawyer Sevimli wrote about the development of the so-called "Counter-Insurgency Law" applied from the 1950s until today, how it gained dominance and the position of the F type prisons in this structure within the process.

28 detainees and inmates died in the course of the Return to Life Operation on 19-22 December 2000. Together with the people who died in subsequent hunger strikes, a total of 122 people lost their lives. More than 600 people remained handicapped. Lawyer Behiç Aşçı says in the preface of the book, "This is not a matter of conscience for us. It is a need for our sense of justice, our desire for independence and democracy, our struggle and for the price we paid".

At the Bayrampaşa Prison in Istanbul, a total of twelve people died. Six of them were women, five of whom burnt to death. The related trial was opened ten years later. The second hearing is set for 6 April. (AS/EÖ)