Petition for politician, ill prisoner Aysel Tuğluk: ‘We don’t want to be late to save her'

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

A campaign has been launched for Kurdish politician and ill prisoner Aysel Tuğluk, who is diagnosed with dementia and held behind bars despite the report of the Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, which has concluded that she is not in a state to stay in prison.

The petition titled "A Call from 1000 Women for Freedom to Aysel Tuğluk" will be open for signatures until January 12, 2022.

"We can no longer stay silent when her life is blatantly put at risk. We can no longer remain mere spectators," reads the petition, "demanding freedom for Aysel Tuğluk as well as for all ill prisoners, now, before it is too late to save them." The following call is made by 1,000 women:

'A selfless, relentless advocate of rights'

"Aysel Tuğluk is a citizen of Turkey. She is among millions of women who were born to a difficult geography with layers of problems. She has chosen to use her time and energy to work with all people who were subjected to 'othering' within power politics and relations, but especially Kurds and women, and struggle along with them against all forms of 'othering.'

"Instead of ignoring the problems of her land and pursuing a life of privilege, she has been a selfless and relentless advocate of rights, actively involved in both the women's and human rights movements. She is a proponent of democracy and engaged in Turkey's struggle for democratization and freedom. She is a lawyer and politician.

"She is an invaluable constituent of the women's struggle that we carry out with a strong sense of camaraderie.

'Still in prison due to forensic medical report'

"Aysel Tuğluk was put on trial for her speeches, which she delivered as a member of the parliament and by exercising her freedom of thought and expression, and she has been in prison for years.

"Although accredited local health institutions determined months ago that she could not survive in prison conditions, she remains in custody due to a report issued by the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute.

"While it is impossible for her to recover in prison conditions, her health is deteriorating rapidly and irreversibly.

'We can no longer stay silent'

"Aysel is a sister, a comrade to all women in our country . . .

"We can no longer stay silent when her life is blatantly put at risk. We can no longer remain mere spectators.

"As 1000 women from all walks of life and different branches of the women's movement, we invite everyone to become Aysel's voice. We don't want to be too late to save Aysel. We don't want to shed tears with remorse.

"Turkey's prisons have several hundred more gravely ill prisoners. Just last month, seven inmates died in prison. The release of sick prisoners is a requisite of both national and international laws and conventions.

"Everyone has the right to live and receive care at home and among their loved ones. We claim people's right to life.

"We demand freedom for Aysel Tuğluk, as well as for all ill prisoners, now, before it is too late to save them."

What happened?

On December 29, 2016, when she was the Vice Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Kurdish politician Aysel Tuğluk was arrested along with seven other politicians from the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) and the Democratic Society Congress (DTK).

The indictment filed against Tuğluk, who was the DTK Co-Chair till September 2014, brought her statements to the press as well as the funerals that she attended as criminal evidence against the politician.

On March 16, 2018, the Ankara 17th Heavy Penal Court sentenced Aysel Tuğluk to 8 years in prison as per the Anti-Terror Law (TMK) no. 3713. Increasing this prison term by half, the court then gave a 12-years prison sentence to the politician. Lastly, it has decreased this prison sentence by one sixth and ruled that she shall be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

As Aysel Tuğluk's appeal to the Ankara Regional Court of Justice was rejected, her file was sent to the Court of Cassation.

Her mother's funeral

Aysel Tuğluk's mother Hatun Tuğluk lost her life in 2017. Upon her last will, her deceased body was brought to the İncek Cemetery in Ankara. Aysel Tuğluk left prison by permission and her mother was laid to rest; shortly afterwards, a group of 5-6 people gathered to protest the funeral.

The ones who attended the funeral said that this number gradually increased and they tried to attack the grave.

As the attacks continued, the deceased body of Hatun Tuğluk had to be removed from the ground and laid to rest somewhere else. One of the people who attacked the funeral turned out to have a picture with Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu at the police station.

Health problems

Aysel Tuğluk's elder brother Alaattin Tuğluk said that his sister had a memory loss after their mother's passing:

My sister didn't look fine. She asks the same question 3-4 times. She doesn't remember some things. For instance, when she wants to ask about someone from the family, she says, 'Who was that, who?' They are close people, it is impossible for her to not know them. I am concerned that this will come to an irreversible point and that we will lose my sister... I want treatment before it is too late. Let another committee examine her and give a decision accordingly. She is given 1-2 medications now. It is not enough. She will go [to jail] after her treatment ends.

About Aysel Tuğluk

Politician.

She was the founding member and Co-Chair of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) and elected Diyarbakır MP in 2007-2009. She became the Van MP of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in 2011-2015. She served as the Vice Co-Chair of the HDP responsible for Law and Human Rights.

Aysel Tuğluk was also a member of the Society and Law Studies Foundation Executive Board, a member of the Human Rights Association (İHD) and the founder of the Patriotic Women's Association.

Born in Elazığ in 1965, she graduated from the Faculty of Law of İstanbul University and worked as a self-employed lawyer. (RT/SD)