Transgender Inmate Buse on Death Fast for 35 Days: 'Don't Leave Me Alone'

*I don't want to die. I need your help to end this, to remove this problem and to be freed from this. Don't leave me alone. Take care of yourselves. Love.

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Transgender inmate Buse, who was prevented from undergoing a gender reassignment operation, has been on a death fast for 35 days.

Buse, is in a legal struggle to for her right to gender reassignment. She first began a death fast in June 2018 at the Tekirdağ Type-F Prison, where she has been residing for 21 years.

After a court ruled that a gender reassignment operation is indispensable for her mental health, Buse ended her strike.

The Ministry of Justice, however, said "The operation is indispensable but not urgent," in a response to a petition. Buse was not sent to hospital.

"We won't give you sugar"

Buse announced through her attorney Eren Keskin that she began a death fast again on January 31. Keskin said,

"Buse is very determined on the hunger strike this time. This is the first time I saw her so determined. She wants the gender reassignment operation to be conducted immediately.

"She receives B12 and sugar. But the prison administration told her, 'We won't give you sugar after you run out of sugar in your cell.'

"Buse says she will continue her death fast even though they won't give her sugar.

"We are very concerned. We just want the ministry of Justice to implement the laws. The court and the hospital say she can undergo surgery. Another prisoner previously underwent surgery. We request the same thing for Buse.

"We officially changed Buse's surname. She uses 'Aydın' now."

Buse: I won't give a break this time

Buse has sent a letter and called the public to support her:

"I gave a temporary break to the previous death fast. When I did not get what I want, I began a death fast again. And this time, I don't think of giving a break.

"If my surgery is accepted, if the heavy isolation does not continue, that would alter the case.

"I submitted a five-page petition and listed my demands as:

• Discontinuation of the heavy isolation
• Admission of my gender reassignment operation and sending me to the hospital
• Sending me to a private hospital for my aesthetic treatment (laser epilation and hair transplant.
• My transfer to a prison which is suitable to my situation.
• Solution of all my problems in the Tekirdağ Type-F Prison."

"I need your help"

"If the necessary medical intervention regarding my gender reassignment is not made, my life would be in danger during the execution period. I can't continue my life like this. There is a danger of death. I am on a death fast to die. If you don't want me to die, I want my reassignment operation to be accepted immediately.

"At the end, I will either be freed from the prison in my body through humanitarian and legal action, and the heavy isolation will not continue, or I will die. A trans murder will be committed by favour of the Ministry of Justice and the judicial system.

"I don't want to die. I need your help to end this, to remove this problem and to be freed from this. Don't leave me alone."

(EMK/VK)