Makbule Özer from Van-Edremit (Wan-Ertêmetan) was released after being imprisoned twice. She was arrested together with her husband in 2022 for "supporting terrorism". However, the then 80-year-old had to be released after four months in prison due to her poor health. She was, however, declared fit for detention after a report from the Institute of Forensic Medicine (ATK) and was imprisoned again. After a total of 254 days in prison, the sentence was completed, and she was released on 31 August. Özer spoke about her detention to the Mezopotamya (MA) news agency.

"I fell twice and hit my head"

Makbule Özer said: "This time I was in prison for four months, and it was very bad for me. I fell twice in prison and hit my head on the ground. I still have headaches. I also fell off the bunk many times and had a lot of problems. I was taken to the hospital almost every day. It was unbearable in prison. An hour there is like a hundred days outside. There were a lot of sick and elderly people in prison, and it was very difficult to even get on the bunks; everyone had big problems. I had the same problems during my first and second imprisonment. The guards banged on the door in the morning for roll call and entered the cells. That was bad for me, it really got to me."

"Prison is not the right place for old and ill people"

Özer continued: "The friends there looked after me. They bathed me and washed my clothes. Hanife Aslan was there. She is the same age as me. She still has four months to serve. Hanife is also very ill. She has pain in her feet and back. Going to the toilet and climbing the stairs were very difficult for us. The prisoners put me on their backs and carried me down the stairs. The conditions in the prison are absolutely unsuitable for elderly and sick prisoners."

"They didn't even give me the chance to finish my tea"

The same way she was imprisoned, she was also thrown out of prison. Makbule Özer described: "They took me out at the morning roll call. I wanted to have another cup of tea before I left, but they took me out before I finished my tea. Then I was taken to the prison gate and had to wait there. Then they put me in a vehicle and made me wait again. They brought the car that was supposed to pick me up closer to the prison car and I was pushed from one car to another. My feet didn't even touch the ground. I asked for my medicine, but they didn't give it to me. Then they told us to leave. We left, with military vehicles on both sides. They didn't allow anyone to see me. Both my admission and my release from prison were full of hardships."

"The situation of ill prisoners is bad"

Makbule Özer also spoke about the situation of old and ill prisoners in general. She said: "When I was taken to the infirmary, I cried. There are people there whose condition is so serious that you feel very bad. In other words, they make the prisoners live in a prison within a prison. I mean, the condition of ill prisoners is really very bad. The doors to the yard are closed very early. The canteen is expensive, and many things are not available. The prisoners used to be able to buy everything, but due to economic difficulties, you can only buy very few things. Because everything is very expensive. The food was also very bad."

"They are afraid of us"

Özer said: "People aged 70 to 80 should not be in prison. Why are they so afraid of us? If they were not afraid, they would not do such a thing. If they were not afraid, they would not have put me in prison in this way and released me in this way."