TAYAD says that F-type prisons, which are basically cell-type prisons common in the West, will allow guards to brutalize inmates more easily and will cut off social contacts, dehumanizing inmates. While that's largely true, they don't mention that dormitory-prisons don't allow any privacy and force all members of a dormitory to obey the stalinist discipline of the cadres controlling that unit. This sometimes even meant the execution of collaborators. Political organization in prison automatically invites fierce repression with armor, explosives, wrecking equipment, lethal doses of tear gas, torture, and rape, so it's not a protection for inmates. The real issue is that F-types will likely put an end to political activity in prisons.
Hakki ----------------------------------------- NYT - A Different Kind of Suicide Mission http://college3.nytimes.com/guests/articles/2001/10/21/875149.xml
From: sipila Subject: Turkey: Police Attack Death-Fasters Again Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 22:33:32 -0800 ARMUTLU WAS AGAIN ATTACKED BY POLICE ====================================== http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/marxist-leninist-list/2001-November/005 832.html
Today at 6.30 a.m. local time the police of Istanbul entered Kucuk Armutlu and captured six of the Death Fast resisters. Tens of people have been arrested.
In its statement the Association of Prisoner's Families TAYAD in Istanbul declared that the state has started to concentrate its soldiers, police, special teams and armoured cars as early as 5.30 a.m. this morning, in order to avoid further public attention.
The death fast resisters GAMZE TURAN, FERHAT ERTÜRK, ÖZKAN GÜZEL, HÜSEYIN AKPINAR and MADIMAK ÖZEN; SELMA KUBAT, VEDAT CELIK and tens of people whoose names couldn't be ascertained were arrested.
TAYAD ends its statement saying: "Even this second operation carried out in Armutlu won't succeed in breaking our resistance. Not just one year, we won't surrender even if this tyranny continues for a thousand years. We'll resist and win."
This has already been the second massacre attack in the neighbourhood which became a centre of the resistance to F-type prisons. During the attack of November 5, 2001 four people were killed by police, and three prisoners lost their lives after burning themselves protesting against the attack.
We are concerned about the life of the captured Death Fast resisters and of all those arrested. Forcible medical intervention on the death fasters has already left more than 100 people handicapped. Many of them totally lost their memory as a result of this harmful treatment.
Already 80 people have died in the resistance to the F-type prisons. After one year of the Death Fast the government of Turkey still refuses any direct negotiation with the prisoners. ---------------------------------------