‘We are All Parts of a Big Orchestra’

On a death fast for 223 days, Mustafa Koçak has sent a letter from prison. “I am a tree, too… What I want you to do is to finally see how that tree walks day by day and how hope pours wherever it touches”, Koçak says.

Ayça Söylemez

Click to read the article in Turkish

Arrested in İzmir Şakran No. 2 Type T Prison, Mustafa Koçak has sent a letter from prison. Sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on charge of "violating the Constitution", he has been on a death fast for 223 days.

Koçak was given an aggravated life sentence based on witness statements. He is now on a death fast for his right to a fair trial.

Starting his letter with a sonnet from William Shakespeare, he has ended the letter with "We love you very much."

Indicating that his resistance is ignored, Koçak has stated the following:

"You know, language was the only place that could not be locked up. What happened to it? Or is a human life not worth even a tree anymore? If not, then why don't you see? Who do you stay silent? Why don't you hear?

"You should know that: The more you stay silent, the more they are encouraged from your silence in stealing your young lives.

"Dear intellectuals, artists, members of parliament, revolutionaries-democrats, journalists, newspapers: I would like you to know that I am a tree, too... And what I want you to do is to finally see how that tree walks day by day and how hope pours wherever it touches.

"It is my call to you: Don't stay silent and hear the throbs of my heart beating for justice before it is too late. Be a voice to my voice, be a cry for my cry!

"I, you, he and she... We... We are all parts of a big orchestra... With hope..."

What happened?

In his letter to his attorney, Mustafa Koçak previously wrote about his 12 days in custody in following words:

"I was detained in the middle of the street in Mecidiyeköy and taken to the İstanbul Police Department on Vatan Street. Here they put a statement in front of me, "Give your statement in line with this and get out." "Otherwise we will arrest you and you'll never see the light of day again." They said, 'You help us, we help you, you live comfortably.'

"I was subjected to psychological and physical torture for not accepting it. The beating they sustained incessantly was the most 'innocent' thing they did. They hanged me by my arms in while I was handcuffed from the back, took off my clothes, put a sack over my head, and tin cans over it. They percussed tin cans on my head for dozens of minutes. They swore at me, my mother, my father and my sister. They have threatened to rape my pregnant sister. These tortures lasted 12 days, I was arrested on October 4, 2017."

CLICK - Court Rules for Aggravated Life Sentence by 'Conscientious Conviction'

His file is currently at the court of appeals.

(AS/SD)

Ayça Söylemez

[email protected]

all articles of the author

Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Felsefe Bölümü mezunu. Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi Sosyoloji bölümünde yüksek lisans yaptı. Marmara Üniversitesi İletişim Bilimleri’nde doktora yapıyor. Vatan, Akşam, HaberTürk ve Hürriyet gazetelerinin yazıişleri ve dış haberler bölümünde çalıştı. Güncel Hukuk dergisinde yazıları yayınlandı. BirGün’de Anonim adlı köşeyi yazıyor. 2011’den bu yana bianet’te İnsan Hakları Editörü.