ONGOING RESISTANCE TO ISOLATION TORTURE IN TURKEY

FOURTY ONE VICTORIES WERE ACHIEVED OVER THE PIT-TYPE ISOLATION PRISONS (HIGH SECURITY OR TYPE S AND Y PRISONS)

Gürkan Türkoglu, a political prisoner, continues to battle for his life in the intensive care unit of Antalya’s city hospital. Despite he has been in coma for a month and can not breathe without intubation, he is being handcuffed to the hospital bed.

Gürkan has achieved victory through an indefinite hunger strike against isolation, which was preceded by force-feeding. Now he is resisting death for 31 days. Let him hear our calls: “WAKE UP GÜRKAN, EMBRACE YOUR VICTORY”!

The Turkish government persists in its policy of employing unlawful and hostile practices in prisons throughout the country. These practices include the implementation of unofficial isolation, encompassing verbal harassment and medical neglect. This issue has been the subject of ongoing hunger strikes, as evidenced by the recent protests at Marmara L-Type Prison No. 6.

PIT-TYPE ISOLATION CONTINUES AT MARMARA’S L-TYPE PRISON

The de facto cell structure at Marmara No. 6 L-Type Prison continues. There has been no official notification or statement from the administration regarding this.

• Starting April 28, 2026, prisoners are being taken out for exercise for two hours a day, one by one…
• Cem DURSUN and Tacettin EROL are on their 11th day of indefinite hunger strike.
• Vitamin B12 is not being provided despite their requests. Herbal teas and sugar are not being provided. Only cube sugar is being provided. Requests for the internal and external canteens are not being accepted.
• Letters from outside are not being delivered. Sent letters, complaints, and petitions are not being forwarded in any way.
• Prison guards frequently engage in verbal harassment and provocative behavior. Head Guard Yüksel Sevim and a female deputy director—whose name they were unable to learn—instigate these attacks and participate in them personally. While Özgür KARAKAYA was in the exercise yard, they insisted on giving his meal to Tacettin EROL, who is on an indefinite hunger strike. This was refused. After about 45 minutes of tension, they ended up giving the meal to Özgür KARAKAYA.
• The judicial detainees in F2-Lower Cell greeted the news of the arrest of the Grup Yorum artists with applause. A judicial detainee named Ali Can asked them to sing a folk song. The day after they sang the song, they took Ali Can from his cell to Cell A4 on the pretext of “taking him to the infirmary.”
• Rezzan ŞENGÜL suffers from chronic restless leg syndrome, a herniated disc, and muscle pain. Since these conditions are chronic, he must take his medication. Although he submitted his third request for medication this morning, he has not received his medication for 10 days. As a result, he is unable to lie down or sit due to the pain.
• In general, all detainees are experiencing joint and muscle pain, severe headaches caused by lack of fresh air, and fatigue.
• Physical and psychological attacks are continuing intensely, particularly targeting prisoners on indefinite hunger strikes. Although these attacks were described in letters sent to members of parliament, journalists and artists (Haluk Tolga İLHAN, Pınar AYDINLAR, Levent ÜZÜMCÜ, Ataol BEHRAMOĞLU, Gözde ŞEKER, Ömer Faruk GERGERLİOĞLU), the letters were not delivered.
• If public awareness regarding these attacks is not raised and the attacks continue, participation in the indefinite hunger strike will continue…

WE WILL NOT SURRENDER TO ISOLATION IN THE “PIT-TYPE” CELLS!

ONGOINIG INDEFNINITE HUNGER STRKES AGAINST ISOLATION POLICIES AND RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN TURKEY’S PRISONS:

HUNGER STRIKE DATES AS OF 20 MAY, 2026

MARMARA L-TYPE PRISON NO 6

Taceddin Erol Sahin and Cem Dursun

22 days indefinite hunger strike

They began an indefinite hunger strike on April 29, in protest against being monitored by cameras 24/7 and the pressure they’re facing

Izmir Sakran Closed Women Prison

İZMİR ŞAKRAN KADIN KAPALI HAPİSHANE

Tuğçenur Özbay

112 days indefinite hunger strike

On January 29, 2026, she began an indefinite hunger strike in protest against the mandatory prison ID badge policy.

Elazig High Security Prison No. 2

ELAZIĞ 2 NO’LU YÜKSEK GÜVENLİKLİ HAPİSHANE

Cihan Berk (journalist)

24 days indefinite hunger strike

On April 27, he began an indefinite hunger strike. His demands are not to be held in solitary confinement and for his right to communicate to be exercised.