Habibe Eren

 

ANKARA - Sema Yiğit, who was on a hunger strike for 42 days in Mamak Military Prison during the September  12 military coup, stated that the sensitivity of the society to hunger strike was very high at that time and said, “It is natural that there is an oppression because governments will continue the pressure to survive. But we have to support each other. Hunger strikes can only result in a total struggle."

 

Sema Yiğit, who was imprisoned in Mamak Military Prison during the military coup of September 12, went on a hunger strike against the imposition of uniform clothing. The hunger strike that the prisoners started to abolish the isolation and to end the violations in prisons, continues on the 32nd day with the seventh group. Pointing out about the hunger strikes, Sema expressed her own experience.

 

Studying economics at Hacettepe University, Sema was arrested in 1982 due to her political activities and sentenced to life imprisonment.  Sema spent a total of 9 years in prison, five years and a half in Mamak Military Prison and 3 years and a half in Çanakkale Prison, and went on a 42-day hunger strike against the prison administration's practices. Sema was released on parole in 1991.

 

'Women's struggle won'

 

Stating that Mamak Prison is generally known as a 'defeated prison', but it has a special feature for female prisoners, Sema said, “It has been an advantageous in ward for us in terms of originality, as female prisoners are kept in a separate place. And men's decisions were not binding on women.” Noting that the uniform imposition was initially applied to male prisoners, Sema states that "When the hunger strike started, our struggle and attitude in that period gave them up from this oppression."

 

'Barbarity imposed'

 

Sema, stating that they stayed in men's buildings at that time, and that all other wards were men's wards, continues as follows: 'They started the uniform imposition with a very intense oppression. Until that day, we had experienced all kinds of torture, oppression and bullying, but with an uniform imposition a 'barbarity' was imposed. Men were dragged on the ground and taken to the open places. A flesh wall was built around them by 10-15 soldiers. Soldiers beat the male prisoners and then strip them off until doctors said 'done'. They were crushing men's penises with their feet. We were constantly shouting slogans against this situation. They threatened us with sexist curses. It was terrible to watch what men lived. Men started hunger strikes , then we started hunger strikes too for men. It was aimed to stop torture on menand to support men. "

 

'The society was very sensitive for the hunger strikes at that time'

 

Stating that they did not know how to end up because they had never experienced a hunger strike before, Sema states that they can only observe how people physically changed. She said ''At that time, society was very sensitive to hunger strikes. The hunger strike was new for us and also for the government. For example, when we got sick and were taken to the hospital, I remember how doctors and military doctors panicked and took our blood pressure at any moment. At that time, the state did not know much about the hunger strikes. They informed us as ''You will lose your memory after 15-16 days''. We could watch this panic in them. They had an attitude trying to stop the  hunger strike. "

 

'Women were at the forefront with their struggles in prisons and outside'

 

Referring to the struggle of women in prison Sema, using these words: "At the moment I focus on the women's struggle in Turkey and I think that something can be changed in prisons and outside only with the women's struggle. If a woman believes and has decided to go that way, there is no one who can pull her from there. During the September 12 process, the women's struggle was clear and certain in all prisons. It is very certain where they stopped and what they did. We behaved the way we were and what we claimed to be. Women do not give up their struggle in prisons and in the country ”

 

'We need to find a way'

 

The September 12 process  produced a very big problem in Turkey and isolated people from one another. Sema said that it brings people exposed to isolation after the process. Complaining that the society does not support each other at the moment, Sema said, “They need to support each other. It is natural that there is pressure because governments will continue to oppress in order to survive, but we have to find a way to touch and reach each other. Unions of forces and democratic mass organizations must raise their voices. Democratic struggle brings people together. There is pressure everywhere, not only in prisons. Cities are plundered and people are left in poorness. We should not be afraid of coming together. We can find a solution through political struggle and democratic struggle. As long as solidarity does not develop, we will continue to experience these bad processes."

 

‘They see the problems of others as their own’

 

Sema, who drew attention to the fact that the prisons were crowded in the last period, states that the prisoners on hunger strike are the most sensitive people. Sema said, “They are people who see the problems of others as their own. Therefore, they take big risks for people. Those people are of course now using their bodies to struggle because they have only their bodies to struggle."

 

'Results can be obtained with total struggle in hunger strikes'

 

Saying, “At that time, not only in prisons but everywhere, everyone was sensitive to each other's problem”, Sema says: “I do not think that hunger strikes could be heard and make a sound when the society does not come together completely and does not share their problems. Only with a total struggle and coming together, results can be obtained. "