Prisoner on hunger strike: 'I am alone without sunlight'

Halil Yakut, currently held in solitary confinement at Kırşehir High-Security Prison, has embarked on a hunger strike to demand his transfer to another facility. Yakut's mother, Gülten Yakut, revealed the details of her son’s protest in an interview with bianet.

During a phone call on Sunday, May 26, Halil Yakut informed his mother that he has been denied adequate access to vitamin B supplements, essential for those on a hunger strike. Despite requiring two vitamin B tablets daily, he has only been provided with one tablet, and is not permitted to purchase more.

Gülten Yakut also reported that the water supply in the prison has been cut off for two days. Halil explained that since the morning of Friday, May 24, there has been no running water, creating severe hardship for inmates. All requests to restore the water supply have gone unanswered.

"Life sentence conditions"

Halil Yakut’s letter, dated May 23, describes the conditions he faces. A 26-year-old earthquake survivor from Antakya, he was arrested in February on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” as part of an investigation led by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. The evidence against him includes two photos taken with his family during the February 6 earthquakes, which were already part of an existing case in which he is being tried without detention.

I am writing to you as a 26-year-old earthquake survivor from Antakya, on the 36th day of my indefinite hunger strike in Kırşehir High-Security Prison. In February, I was arrested on charges of 'membership in an organization' as part of an investigation by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. The evidence presented against me included two photos taken with my family during the February 6 earthquakes. These photos were already part of a case where I was being tried without detention, yet they were used again as the basis for my arrest. While the real culprits of the earthquake are not being prosecuted and the detained contractors are being released one by one, I, an earthquake victim, have been imprisoned.

Those who buried us in concrete graves during the earthquake now want to bury me in these concrete tombs. Although I am a detainee, I am being held under conditions similar to an aggravated life sentence in Kırşehir High-Security Prison. I am alone in a single cell without ventilation or sunlight. I am allowed outside for only one hour a day, and my cell windows are barred, blocking any view of the sky. The doors are automatic, and I am expected to communicate through an intercom—there are no human faces or voices. The water is generally cut off, provided only three times a day. My light is turned on every hour at night, preventing me from sleeping. The number of books I can access is limited, and 'disciplinary penalties' are frequently imposed.”

Describing the prison as 'a well,' Yakut wrote that he has been on a hunger strike since April 18, 2024, demanding to be transferred to another prison: 'I am on a hunger strike to remain human.'”

Other prisoners, including members of the music band Grup Yorum—Cem Dursun, Oktay Kelebek, Rezzan Şengül, and Vedat Doğan—have been on a hunger strike for 222 days. Additionally, Nurettin Kaya has been on hunger strike for solidarity with the group members. (AS/VK)