Başak Demirtaş: Our daughters unable to hug their father for 19 months

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Başak Demirtaş, the spouse of Selahattin Demirtaş, answered the questions of İsmail Küçükkaya on Fox TV morning news today (October 6).

Selahattin Demirtaş, the former Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), has been arrested in Edirne Prison since November 2016.

Speaking on Fox TV today, Başak Demirtaş first extended her greetings to all arrested and convicted people, including politicians and lawyers:

"I would like to extend my greetings to all Fox TV viewers and all arrestees and convicts in prisons. I send my greetings to all in the person of Gültan Kışanak, Figen Yüksekdağ, İdris Baluken, Selçuk Mızraklı and Selçuk Kozağaçlı. Also, Aysel Tuğluk is seriously ill. I extend my get-soon-well wishes to her. I wish ill prisoners are released and treated outside."

Başak Demirtaş said that Selahattin Demirtaş is in good spirits and hopeful: "When I get there, I get moral [support] from Selahattin. He is a person hopeful about life and everything, he never loses his hope. He takes a tough stance and he is full of hope for the future."

'Our right to visits restricted'

Başak Demirtaş indicated that they have been unable to make a contact visit in prison for the past 19 months:

"Before the pandemic, we could make three non-contacts visits and one contact visit in a month, but we have been unable to make a contact visit for 19 months. Our daughters have been unable to hug their father for 19 months. We can make only two non-contact visits in a month.

"It is impossible to understand this. I am sorry to say this, but this situation has turned into an arbitrariness. Both Selahattin and I have been vaccinated. We are in a state to have a contact visit, but even a non-contact visit can be held twice a month. There can be no explanation for this. I would like to call out to the Justice Minister: Why is our right to visit still restricted?"

'We speak with Kılıçdaroğlu and İmamoğlu'

Başak Demirtaş also talked about Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu, the spouse of main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, and Dilek İmamoğlu, the spouse of CHP's İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu: "We speak with Selvi İmamoğlu and Dilek İmamoğlu. On special days, on tough days, we exchange wishes of solidarity. Actually, we talked yesterday. I told them that I wanted to send Selahattin's book to them."

'ECtHR rulings are binding'

Referring to the ruling of rights violation and immediate release given by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), Demirtaş said:

"There is a ruling that Selahattin is innocent and he should be released. But this ruling has not been abided by. This is unbelievable.

"Selahattin is behind bars because those governing the country want it, not because he is guilty. The ECtHR rulings are binding. There were those who said that 'ECtHR rulings are not binding for us.' But they are. It is openly indicated in Article 90 of our Constitution. Therefore, the rulings must be implemented immediately. But the judiciary is not independent in Turkey."

'Talking, meeting, contacting...'

Touching upon the recent declaration of the HDP as well, Başak Demirtaş underlined that "the HDP is an important party for democratization":

"I am a Kurdish woman from Diyarbakır's Lice. And I am a citizen of the Republic of Turkey. Everyone has the right to live in peace. We need normalization so much... We have been polarized and otherized so much... The best way to do away with this tense environment is to talk, to meet and to contact. We need to start talking to the people from different sections of the society regardless of what political opinions they hold."

Başak Demirtaş also recalled that Selahattin Demirtaş's latest novel "Efsun" came out in Turkey on October 2, extending her thanks for all good responses and comments. (AÖ/SD)