"I haven't held my son’s hands or hugged him for a year”
Prison conditions in Turkey have been worsening for years but after the Covid-19 pandemic the conditions have become worse. “Contact visits haven’t been allowed due to the pandemic. I haven’t held my son’s hands or hugged him for a year. This is the worst thing for a mother,” said Mihan Turan, whose son has been held in a prison.
MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU
Elîh – In 2013, a positive atmosphere was created when the peace process started in Turkey, after the end of this process, conflicts, arrests, torture, ill-treatment, and many other rights violations have been increasing. Thousands of Kurds have been held in prison. The prison conditions, which have been worsening for years, have become worse after the Covid-19 pandemic started. Inmates and their relatives have gone through hard times.
“My son is sick and our demands are rejected”
Mihan Turan’s son is one of the political prisoners. Her son Ramazan Turan has been held in Hilvan Prison located in Urfa province while she lives in Batman province. “My son has been held in prison for six years and he has health problems. Although the trial process continues, he hasn’t been taken to the hearings. I haven’t hugged my son for a year because of the ban on contact visits. I have summited many petitions for my son to be taken to a hospital but my demands are rejected. I am also sick; I underwent an operation on one of my feet. I have difficulties in going to prison. After going that far, I can only see him behind the glass. I hardly hear his voice because the phones are broken. Contact visits haven’t been allowed due to the pandemic. I haven’t been able to hold my son’s hands or hugged him for a year. This is the worst thing for a mother,” Mihan Turan told NuJINHA.
“I always have a missing part at home”
Mihan feels like one of her parts is always missing at home since her son was arrested. Not only she but also thousands of relatives of inmates have the same problems. After the arrest her son, “He was first taken to a prison in Erzincan and then to the prison in Urfa. He has been held in Urfa for four years. Urfa is far from here (Batman) and we have difficulties in going there. When we go there, we cannot see him. We suffer a lot. We cannot hold our children’s hands. We feel sick in the heart. No one should suffer like us anymore,” Mihan Turan said.
“Everyone should speak out for prisoners”
Mihan Turan drew attention to the ongoing hunger strikes launched by the political prisoners. “My son previously went on a hunger strike for 70 days. I couldn’t recognize him when I visited him during his hunger strike. Now, they have gone on a hunger strike again. We haven’t received any information about their health. There are thousands of people like my son and all of them have health problems. Their demands are ignored. Everyone should speak out for the prisoners.