Statement by HDP Regarding Hunger Striker Ill Prisoner Who Took His Life

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Having been arrested in Tekirdağ No. 2 Type F Closed Prison, ill inmate Zülküf Gezen took his life on March 16. Gezen went on a hunger strike on March 1 with the demand that the isolation of Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK) imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan be lifted.

Gathering in front of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İstanbul Provincial Organization in Tarlabaşı, Beyoğlu, the members of the party wanted to stage a protest and make a statement for the press.

March was not permitted by police

While the police did not allow the people to march to the Electoral Communication Office of the party in the nearby Hacıahmet Neighborhood, they permitted the statement for the press to be held in front of the provincial organization of the party in Tarlabaşı.

The Kalyoncu Kulluğu Street, where the HDP Provincial Organization is located, was closed to traffic and the ones who came to attend the statement for the press were searched by the police. 

After the march of the party members was prevented by the police, they staged a sit-in protest. In response, the police made an announcement and said that "if they did not stand up, the police would intervene." After people stood up, the statement for the press was read out.

Çiçek: Isolation has spread to everywhere

Speaking regarding the incident, HDP İstanbul Provincial Co-Chair Cengiz Çiçek said the following:

"A convict ended his own life in Tekirdağ Prison. The reason why he ended his life was that the isolation on Öcalan has not been lifted. Today, the isolation in İmralı Prison has spread to everywhere. We demand that isolation be lifted and people live."

Gezen's uncle: He had no psychological problems

Speaking about the death of his nephew, uncle Ahmet Gezen stated that though Zülküf Gezen began his hunger strike on March 1, his friends dissuaded him from this decision ten days later because he had Hepatitis B. The uncle further indicated that Gezen had no psychological problems and the reason for his suicide was to protest the isolation.

Chief Public Prosecutor's Office released a statement

Upon the death of Zülküf Gezen, the Tekirdağ Chief Public Prosecutor's Office released a statement and denied the allegations that "Gezen committed this act for a cause."

The Prosecutor's Office stated that he committed suicide by hanging himself with a washing line in the bathroom of the prison ward.

Police took the deceased body to Diyarbakır

Source: Mezopotamya Agency

Being informed about the death of Gezen, his family came from Diyarbakır to İstanbul to take the deceased body of Gezen.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), at first, Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-Spokesperson and HDP MP Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit announced that the body of Gezen was taken to the mortuary of İstanbul Atatürk Airport to be sent to Diyarbakır by plane on 9.50 a.m. However, the body of Zülküf Gezen was taken to Diyarbakır at night.

Making a statement about the incident, HDP MP Ayşe Acar Başaran stated that the deceased body of Gezen was seized by the police and taken away in a pirate-like manner without the knowledge of his relatives in İstanbul.

Pressure to lay the body at night

It has been alleged that after the plane landed in Diyarbakır Airport, the police called Gezen's family and said, "We will commit the body to the ground tonight. You can either attend it or not."

HDP MPs Pero Dündar, Musa Farisoğulları, Remziye Tosun, Nuran İmir, Feleknas Uca, Saliha Aydeniz and Ayşe Acar Başaran came to the airport to receive the deceased body of Gezen.

However, their entry to the airport was prevented by the police, who stated that they would not be allowed to attend the funeral.

Taken from the Diyarbakır Airport by the police, Gezen's body was brought to the Yeniköy Cemetery in Bağlar, Diyarbakır. The cemetery was surrounded by armed vehicles and riot squad officers. Gezen was laid to rest there in company of some of his family members.

He was given aggravated life sentence

Zülküf Gezen was arrested in relation with an attack which claimed the life of one police officer and injured six others, including two police officers, in Balıkçılarbaşı in Diyarbakır on October 10, 2007. Gezen was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment of 109 years and 6 months in 2010. (HA/SD)