Turkey: Prisoners warn against expanding hunger strikes

Since Wednesday, five political prisoners in Urfa have been on hunger strike against their conditions of detention. The temperature in the province is 45 degrees Celsius and water is only available for twelve hours a day.

Since Wednesday, five political prisoners in the T-type prison Urfa have been on an indefinite hunger strike against their conditions of detention and the curtailment of their rights.

One of the hunger strikers is Kasim Karataş, who has been in prison for 29 years. In a telephone conversation with his daughter Gülistan Karataş he announced that all political prisoners will join the hunger strike if the demands are not met.

The hunger strike is intended to enforce that sick prisoners receive appropriate medical treatment. Furthermore, prisoners demand the right to communication, sports and social activities. A major problem is also the lack of water supply. In Urfa it can reach 45 degrees in summer and the prisoners have no access to water for twelve hours a day.

Gülistan Karataş further reports from a telephone conversation with her father: "New arrivals are forced to be searched naked. Letters from the prisoners are not forwarded because of disciplinary sanctions. A friend of my father's, Ferhat Durdu, is not released on the same grounds, even though his prison sentence ended five months ago. My father says there are 23 people in his ward. The problems are increasing daily, the yard is arbitrarily restricted. He has also said that all prisoners will go on hunger strike if the demands are not met."

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