Activist detained over protest in Spain
Prior to the July 7-8 NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkish police detained over 200 activists, journalists and union organizers, some under “preventative” detention.
Emir Karakum was one of these activists and still remains in detention to this day. He is currently being held in Silivri Prison. Karakum alleges that he was detained as a result of his participation in the "Summit of the People's Unity" held in Barcelona, Spain, prior to the NATO summit. He described the detentions as an “an anti-imperialist hunt.”
Karakum’s letter outlines the conditions faced by many of the anti-NATO activists arrested in the scope of the same investigation, including details on their health, separation from their families and the human rights violations they have endured in prison.
“I am writing this letter on the 53rd day of our arrest. As NATO prisoners, our captivity continues. In June, an anti-imperialist hunt had started on the grounds that NATO, the murderer of the world's peoples, was coming to Ankara on July 7–8.
We were detained on June 22 and arrested on June 26 together with many of our anti-imperialist friends. As I write these lines from Silivri Prison, we received bad news today.
The father of our friend Hüseyin Kütük, who we were arrested together with, passed away from cancer. His father had come from Antep to Istanbul to receive treatment by his son's side. He had not been able to see his son in a long time, nor the son, his father.
Hüseyin Kütük, who was detained right beside his father on June 23, was subsequently arrested on June 26 due to the NATO investigation. Now the button has been pressed. The government would not leave any anti-imperialist free whenever possible.
Hüseyin could not attend his father's funeral; the reason is the criminal Criminal Judgeships of Peace acting under the direction of the government.
**
Let me mention another friend of mine who is a NATO detainee. Dursun Göktaş from Bakırköy Closed Women's Prison. She had dedicated her years to the struggle, and had contracted cancer during this struggle process. When she was about to recover, political operations would not allow her.
While on the outside, even when it was difficult, she had gotten her hospital affairs on track. As you know, while you’re in this health system, especially if you have cancer, finding treatment and means is difficult. She had overcome these difficulties and gotten things in order, only for the government to arrest Dursun Göktaş thinking, "The more detentions, the more praise from Trump."
**
Let me mention another NATO detainee, our Mother Nagihan. She had gone to Silivri 7–8 months ago to see her daughter, a Grup Yorum worker. On the way back, the bus crashed from hitting the barriers. Mother Nagihan broke her hip bone in this accident, undergoing a treatment process while unable to leave the house for 4–5 months. Before the process was over, she was arrested due to the NATO investigation.
Why was Mother Nagihan arrested? Because she had embraced not only her children, but all political prisoners.
Her example would not please imperialism, so what would happen was obvious. Just because NATO was coming, just to serve as a deterrent example, Mother Nagihan was going to be arrested.
**
I would like to mention another NATO detainee, Selda Özçelik, who is held in Bakırköy.
I don't know, do you have any friends from Antakya? The love of their homeland I have seen from every person from Antakya is endless. And Selda Özçelik's love for Antakya is something else entirely. When Antakya is mentioned, her eyes sparkle. Especially when she goes from Istanbul to Antakya, to her hometown, upon return she is completely different.
She rejoices as if you gave her the whole world. If you wonder why she is in Istanbul despite so much love [for Anktakya], the Arab girl who left her homeland to come here is here because she loves her people so much.
The government, saying "So you are the one who leaves her beautiful homeland and goes to Istanbul? In that case, we need to increase the numbers," was thinking — the more anti-imperialists, the more colonial continuation of the government.
On Thursday, August 6, Selda Özçelik began an indefinite hunger strike in order to support her friends in Silivri No. 6 Prison who have been resisting for over 100 days for the removal of cameras monitoring prisoners in common areas from their toilets to where they eat and drink.
**
Another NATO detainee is Ümit Çobanoğlu, Bianet has given space to his cartoons on well-type prisons many times. Çobanoğlu had drawn hundreds of cartoons exposing the policies of imperialism.
NATO is coming so keeping someone so opposed to imperialism outside could disturb Trump's comfort. So as not to disturb Trump’s comfort, Ümit Çobanoğlu was arrested.
**
Another NATO captive, Doğan İncesu, was serving as the lawyer for the 29 workers who were killed by a fire in Gayrettepe. İncesu was the lawyer of all the oppressed. He was the lawyer of his client Gürkan Türkoğlu, who went on a hunger strike for 266 days against well-type prisons. He worked wholeheartedly to keep Gürkan alive. Unfortunately, silence caused Gürkan's murder. If American-style well-type prisons are on everyone's tongue today, this was thanks to Doğan İncesu working wholeheartedly.
He was not a lawyer who was a role model for imperialism. Naturally, a lawyer had to be added to the anti-imperialist net, and lawyer Doğan İncesu was arrested as well.
Now you all will ask what he is doing in prison. He continues to serve as the lawyer for the oppressed. Because he comes from the tradition of those who say, "Even if a lawyer dies, they seek rights in the grave."
**
Due to the fact that the second month of our arrest will be ending next week, we will appear before the Criminal Judgeship of Peace. We will not present a defense to these courts that we do not regard as independent.
Dear Bianet, not only for us as NATO captives, but all political prisoners are subjected to rights violations in prisons.
We are being arrested with conspiracy files. We cannot be by our families' side during their most difficult days. Not only us, but our families are also being punished. As socialist captives, whatever the conditions may be, we continue to produce and to nurture hope in prisons.
I will send a picture[2] related to the investigation under which we were arrested. They put the NATO summit that will be organized in Spain into the investigation file. No care whatsoever was shown while preparing a conspiracy investigation. The police prepared it by saying "Cut, copy, paste," thinking "In any case, Criminal Judgeships of Peace don't look at the content."
All of these are the crimes of the government."
