I Want My Past Back
Birsen KARS * Hacer ARIKAN * Ebru DINCER
All three of them were in the female wing of Bayrampasa Prison (in Istanbul, Turkey) on December 19, 2000.
All three of them were part of the struggle for dignity which was continuing up to that moment.
All of them resisted the state's isolation of the prisoners, which was camouflaged as the introduction of F-Type prisons.
On December 19 the state forces raided 20 prisons in Turkey. The aim of this operation was to break the resistance of the prisoners, who were defending human dignity while fighting isolation. The state used bombs, machine-guns and various types of gas canister. People were beaten to death with truncheons and metal bars. Others were killed by gunshots.
December 19 was AN ACT OF CRUELTY. The most cruel and indescribable thing happened to the women prisoners at Bayrampasa. The women's dormitory was turned into a dormitory of death by gas canisters on the one hand, while on the other security forces used gunfire to set the place alight.
Six women, who were present at the dormitory, WERE BURNT ALIVE. Screams, slogans and the crackle of burning corpses were intermingled with the sound of laughter from the security forces. The murderers were shouting: "Either you'll surrender or we're going to kill everyone." And that's what they did. Six of these women were burnt alive. Gulseren Yazgul GUDER, Nilufer ALCAN, Seyhan DOGAN, Ozlem ERCAN, Gulser TUZCU and Sefinur TEZGEL, AND THIS BEFORE THE WHOLE WORLD'S EYES.
Dozens were saved from death but with severe burns and deep pain in their hearts.
Birsen, Hacer and Ebru are among those who escaped death on December 19. Their bodies were covered with burns, their comrades killed. We couldn't prevent them from being burnt before the eyes of the whole world. Now they want THEIR PAST BACK. Maybe it won't be possible to give them back their entire past. It won't be possible to heal them completely. But at least we could reduce their pain. In that prison dormitory, where the six women were burned alive, it was in fact humanity which was set on fire. A crime against humanity was committed and directed at us all. As human beings we are obliged to extinguish this fire. To the extent that we can reduce the pain of BIRSEN, HACER and EBRU, we'll also have extinguished this fire.
So to reduce the pain of Birsen, Hacer and Ebru only in part and to enable their treatment, an action campaign is being set up. BIRSEN is still in prison. HACER and EBRU have been released. They have to undergo a series of operations. Just to take EBRU as an example, she has to undergo 22 operations at present. Besides the operations, it is necessary to replace limbs they've lost with prosthetics.
I Want My Past Back: The Campaign
The project that we started to reduce their pain only in part needs around Euro 200,000. It is not possible for us to get this amount from "anywhere". That's why we are going to organise information events, solidarity evenings and as far as possible concerts with bands showing their solidarity in various European countries. Furthermore we're going to ask for funds and donations for humanitarian aid, solidarity with the prisoners, medical help, etc.
We are convinced that we can find a major part of the necessary money from these funds. That's why we are asking for financial support in the region of E 500 - E 1000 (280-560 pounds sterling).
We would like to realise this project in the form of a campaign. The name of our campaign is the I WANT MY PAST BACK committee. There's the need for large-scale solidarity activity and participation. We intend to announce our campaign and in this context also the conditions in the prisons of Turkey to a wider layer of people. Furthermore it is our aim to support people who were ready to pay any price to keep human dignity alive. Therefore we especially want to organise information evenings, produce posters, leaflets and brochures, as well as a video in which BIRSEN, HACER and EBRU are shown.
To strengthen solidarity and to show them that we are with them as sensitive persons, we want to sent international delegations to Istanbul. Besides those who can give their material support, we need the support of people who can organise concerts or information evenings in various European cities and distribute posters, leaflets and other materials; and we need people who will personally fly to Istanbul to tell them that they aren't alone; and people who will inform their own environments about what kind of inhumane measures are being taken in the prisons of Turkey.
Everyone who wants to work with us in this campaign, can contact us at the following address: Mypastback@post.com
Those are the organisations, who support us in the context of this international campaign:
Germany: TAYAD Komite Bielefeld and IKM Hamburg
Austria: PWI (Prison Watch International)
Netherlands: TAYAD Komite Rotterdam
Belgium: TAYAD Komite Brüksel
PS. During the December 19, 2000 operation, 28 prisoners were massacred.
LINK
We were Burnt Alive: Interviews with Hacer Arikan and Ebru Dincer