It was a month in July 2018, and an ordinary day in Tarsus;overcrowded neighborhood, extreme heat and excessive circulation.
It's been a long time since I was in this prison, and that, since my arrest in April 2016, I regularly asked for my transfer to Istanbul, where my family and my home was located.But in vain.My requests were continuously refused by the general management of prisons and detention centers.Why, but why did they not love me?I had just written a new letter, which expressed my request for an interview with the prison attorney on this subject, and when he returned to the establishment I was going to talk to him.
In short, the situation was this one, and it was the day of the infirmary in our neighborhood.A group of women was extracted from the neighborhood and taken to the infirmary, located upstairs.Prisoners of one or two other districts were already there.We then assied on the waiting chairs, and we fell to wait ... and, suddenly, the banality of this day disappeared!
A woman, who worked as a superior official since my arrival in Tarsus, but that we have never seen in connection with any case of aggression or torture, and who had been recently demoted, approached me, and told me that'She wanted to talk to me.Obviously I was very surprised, thinking that we were going to talk there, quickly, I say "agree, let's talk".She invited me to a room located just in front of the infirmary, where the sick prisoners were alleged and those put under infusion.I headed there with curiosity, and thus began the period which was going to fall like a bomb, in my prison life, which was already full.
I summarize what the official told me.
With another civil servant, demoted like her, their difficulties were due to the director of the establishment.The latter, bringing together the women who behaved towards the prisoners according to his instructions, severely and bad, had formed a “team A”.Five of these women then selected were officers, and these two officials were, despite law n ° 675 and their seniority, downgraded and placed under their command.In addition, and as if by chance, it must be said that the officials mounted in grade were very young and beautiful.In short, let's continue, our subject, "team A" had prepared, on the order of the director, lists concerning the various districts, and made up of names of the rebel prisoners, which posed problems in the.My name was obviously on the list of our neighborhood.Why were these lists established?In the event of any disorder or intervention moment, the listed people had to be removed from the neighborhoods, placed in isolation cells or in the "foam room", and would suffer persecution, to be broken.The official also transmitted to me, and in detail, the fact that recently, a “problematic” woman had been left from her neighborhood where the criminal prisoners were grouped, brought to the foam room, and beaten to death, by a civil servantsuperior of team A;The fact that the official bearing the blows had not even listened to her colleagues who said "stops, that's enough";The fact that the prisoner had then been transferred to şakran's prison in Izmir, and that, as she had neither visitor nor relatives, the incident had been suffocated ...
Yes, I admit, I snifai the smell of the confusion to come, I even thought "and if I did not get wet in this subject", -like my mother told me all the time -but with the professional deformation, and this curiosity that kills cats, how would you like me to abstain?Questions on questions, I informed myself on all the details of the allegations.Obviously it was allegations, but allegations that had to be invested, and as I knew myself, I was not going to let go.
In addition to all this, I had been told things that I would not want to write here.Allegations of a slanderous nature, such as the relationship between the director and a security agent;The bars frequented with the women's officials at the end of the working day, the dinner tables at Rakı erects ... Privacy did not interest me but, if as the demoted official claimed, when she had asked her director "why am-I withdrawn from my post? ”He replied "Well, you never draw up a table from Rakı", the situation was serious.All this absolutely did not correspond to the moralist vision that power claims to hold and represent.
Finally, I listened to everything I have been told, I deepened by questions, I identified the people mentioned.Already, in this prison, because of the management, we undergo enough violations of rights and difficulties.There, it was the bouquet.One last question was taraled to me, I put it on the demoted official "Why are you telling me all that to me?".His answer was: "Because they are afraid of you, you reflect everything in the press, you write.You can help us in this injustice that we have undergone.We are afraid, you can write at least to the Ministry of Justice, transmit to the prosecutor ".I say to myself "damn it, what personality am I!", But in truth the big troubles were truly in front of my door, and even in front of me, greeted me, "we arrived, we had to miss you!".
I returned to the neighborhood, under the questioning gaze of my friends, and I think, "should I take these allegations seriously?".I retired to the freshest and favorite place in our neighborhood, with two women in which I trusted, I told them everything and asked for their opinion.One tells me "don't get into it, drop it", the other worries about me.After long exchanges, I cut to this decision: I was going to transmit these allegations - as it must be done - when I would meet the prosecutor, so the prosecutor's office was going to conduct an investigation, at least they should do so, n 'is this not ?I revealed my decision to my friends and obtained their approval, and it was only to wait for the prosecutor.
Finally, the prosecutor arrived in prison, and called me.But what is it, then ?In the room where we usually maintain, was seated the director of the establishment.Calmly, I transmitted my request, and explained that I was kept in prisons far from my family and my home, and that consequently the visits were transformed into real ordeal, that I had not seen my fatherFor a year and a half, due to his health problems preventing him from making long journeys ... Result?There was none: "Write a request letter".Well, I already wrote it constantly, but they were all refused.
But, in the end, we came to the thorny subject ... Before starting, I told them that I wanted to speak with the prosecutor alone, and I asked that the director of the establishment sorts.The director who already "loved me a lot," left the room, looking at me frown, eyes filled with hatred.(This director was obviously the same as the one I was talking about in my previous article, which threatened me to stop helping Syrian women.) I therefore transmit all the allegations of the superior civil servants, as it was, and asked her to investigate.At the beginning, he tried to drown the fish, accused the civil servants, while before us there were the allegations of two ex-subsidiary officials, deserving really investigation.Of course, I knew very well that I was going to meet the question "But why they tell you about you?", Who, in fact, fell.I say that I thought they were afraid, and that I was only transmitting the facts expressed to him, that is to say to a prosecutor.He took notes.He understood, or else I thought.But I was wrong.The Bowers were then well installed on my arms, and even took me in their arms.And that, I was going to understand it painfully, in the black days that followed.
So you see, this interview took place, from memory, Thursday.And Saturdays were for our neighborhood, the day of telephone communication.Finally, when I say "communication", you must not overestimate, it is a right of appeal of only 10 minutes, and only with family members of the 1st degree.As for Monday according to, we had the day of "open visits", without cabin, to which we are entitled once a month, and for 45 minutes.
This Saturday on the phone, I learned by my mother, that Melek Bengü şahin, my close intimate, my sister, the eternal top of my visit list, would not come to see me this Monday.Good !It was really not easy to come from Istanbul to Tarsus.But was I the only one who learned of his future absence?Obviously not!Those who listen to telephone conversations were aware of this information.Why do I specify this?So that what will follow can be better understood, of course ...
We arrived at Sunday.An ordinary evening in Tarsus prison, it is midnight, we are sitting in the refectory of the neighborhood, let's watch on TV, the film "Mission Impossible", let's talk about friends, why Tom Cruise does not age and because heTurn the action scenes without lining ... suddenly, the main door of the district which overlooks the corridor, and the one that gives on the walk open simultaneously.And burst into it, dozens of keen cowboy -looking caretakers, screaming, "everyone on a walk!".We no longer knew a blow where we lived.In normal conditions, the excavations took place in the office hours, the door of the corridor is open, but we do not enter this way, in the midnight and we do not get everyone out outside.Clearly, there was an “operation.We all wore, what we could wear in a hot night in Tarsus.
In abnormal situations like this, I could incredibly keep my cool.This is what happened.Going out in the promenade calmly, I asked “Let's go well, is there a party?”.One of the guards then says "you go below each stone, Aslıhan Gençay".At this very moment, I understood that this midnight descent was for my apple.Information note: During the summer, the neighborhood walks are closed at 8 p.m., but there it was open, then, in this stirring, me and my friends, impassive, we will savor this night outing in the walk.The officials, feverishly, in action, asked as an observer, the presence of a prisoner who did not know it too much.Normally, it is the prisoners that define the observants.But now, the conditions were not normal, and what had to happen, happened.
The excavation lasted half an hour, the guards then left the neighborhood.When we went back to the dormitory, we saw that only my wardrobe and my bed had been combed, put sans dessous, and, in particular, all the writings had to be read.The observer prisoner confirmed, the excavation was well intended for me.Everyone looked at me with curiosity, and I, as if it had happened, I scrutinized, I listened in calm.After all, only three people, me and two friends in the neighborhood, knew the subject of this.It was almost an o'clock in the morning, the door opened again, with a crash, and a goalkeeper voice announced: "Aslıhan Gençay, we take you outside, immediately!"Finally, the expected end!I headed to go down and go out, a friend grant me "don't go, we won't give you".I replied, "No, useless, they will take me anyway, and they will attack you, why would you suffer from damage?", And I was going through the door.I found myself in a crowd, wearing night clothes, because I had not been given time to change.
We crossed the corridor, we brought closer to the “aquarium” zone, where the interviews with the management, I saw them gathered, all the directors (it is strange, in this woman prison there is no director), and the superior officials men in civilian clothes, because they had been made from at home.My clothes were not adequate for this interview, I say to the guards "Are you going to put me in front of so many men in this outfit?I'm going to go back to the neighborhood to get dressed ”.But who listened to me?We arrived at "the aquarium".Okay, the party of torture was for me, I was the girl of the party, but I was not prepared, I had not even made myself beautiful!
As soon as I entered the room, of course I sat down, and the director of the establishment, who did not hold in place, who made the hundred steps fast, shouted on the guards at full lungs: "Do the Leveeer!"Two colossi of goalkeepers attracted me by the arms, raised me, and afterwards, did not drop my arms anymore.The man was almost on the verge of the nervous crisis, they debuted everything that may not go into any logical framework, screaming, and he constantly accused me.Some examples: “I fight against terrorism, you, you want to pull my carpet under my feet, and get me from my duties as director!You will bring in my place someone younger, without experience and you will carry out terrorist activities!You, you make me follow, you also follow my children!You, you founded a terrorist organization, just to make me fall! "... I listened calmly, everything think" say so what I really am! ", While laughing at these absurdities of crazy.The man got angry even more.Finally, tired, he was silent and it was my turn: “The fact that I was brought here, with a midnight operation, in an unsuitable outfit, is illegal.If I am not brought back to the neighborhood, I will file a complaint against you all.I want to call the prosecutor right away.He must have told you that he will investigate what I transmitted to him, and you all try to silence me.The allegations are certainly truthful, so that I undergo so much pressure ”I told them.And I added "Besides, what organization I would have founded, I am curious to know.If there is an organization, it must bear a name, right? ”.The director stopped for a moment, thought, and said, adding fictitious first names for the two complainant officials "Organization of Ayşe Fatma Aslı!".I know, you can't believe it, but believe me, he really said it like that.I do not know if it was the nerves, the absurdity of the situation, but I launched a burst of laughter.I didn't know if we had to laugh or cry about it, so we were facing a new organization, and I was the founder ... Let's go!
Then began classic threats: “admit, you try to make me flow.You will not be able to get out of this prison.We are going to open up trials against you, you will get 20 years in prison for having founded and led a terrorist organization.You are here, until the end of your life.If you don't want it to happen like that, admits! ”No but, what should I admit exactly, it was not clear either ...
My patience had limits, too, and it was my turn to scream with full lungs "it's you who is a terrorist!It was you who founded the organization.Me, as any citizen must do it, I transmitted the allegations to your subject, to the prosecutor.This is not a crime.If, when you open a trial against me, a single judge believes your delusions and chastises me, wow what has become!You are a torturer, and for an hour you torture me ... "
In this ramdam where I had lost my voice by dint of screaming, I heard the order of the director: "Put it with the isolation cell".I challenged, in vain “It is illegal!”, But I was trained by the guards, who were bruated by tinting them, led to the isolation cells, and put in one, locatedupstairs.
By placing my eyes inside, the first thing I noticed was the fact that the ground was soaked there, and that the bed and the sheets had been thrown with the water, that isto say that the cell had been prepared for me with “love”.I already told you that the director loved me a lot!I looked at the place of toilet, there was nothing.I was heading directly to the door, and started to strike.I asked for drinking water, soap, paper towels, my usual drugs for asthma, sheets, bed and correct pillow.On the part of the officials of the A team who came to the door, I received the same answer each time: "there is order of the director, he prohibited it".They answered that, even for my soap request, "why would the water not be enough for you?" ... "Ah", I tell them "you are of those people who do not wash their hands when you get out of the toilet".You see, all that is for love ...
I was truly reduced to medieval conditions, or maybe, I was asleep while looking at "impossible mission" and all that did not really happen.Sleep was now forbidden to me.I hit the door of the cell until the early hours, to claim my needs.Obviously, all the women who slept in other cells, were awake, they listened to what was going on, how would you like them to sleep with all this boucan?I apologize for the discomfort that I have temporarily caused ... I was able to sleep towards dawn.It was already on Monday, and I was still under the same conditions.
Lunch arrived, meat dish.Well, I am a vegetarian.The woman pushed the dish inward, I pushed out outside.I tell him "what a beautiful torture ... Obviously, there are a thousand and one ways to starve", I don't take it.Ah yes, moreover, each of my gestures, and my words, were recorded by a pedestrian camera.Imagine, you are constantly talking to a camera turned towards your face.We would have believed ourselves on the “paranormal activity” set.
In the afternoon, the door opened, and I was told that I had a visit.What a big surprise!It was Melek Bengü şahin.I had described it to you, and as if she proved to me that she is a being sprinkled with fairy dust and thrown on earth, she had decided to come, without any reason.In addition, the visit was not made in the morning as usual, she had waited until the afternoon.And what a wait!To get rid of Bengü, they had lied to him "the Aslı district has changed, so on visits too.No visits today ".However, having listened to the telephone conversation, they were sure that I would not have a visit this Monday.But Bengü, who should not come, was there, and their plans to make me suffer in an isolation cell until Saturday after fell in the water.Without knowing Bengü had thwarted their plan.
My friend, not convinced of the lies that he was told, had insisted on the threshold of the door, had expressed with determination that she would not leave anywhere without seeing me, and had finally succeeded in obtaining a visit, in the afternoon.
I left the cell in a pitiful state, always with the camera stuck to my nose, and arrived at the space dedicated to visits to criminal prisoners.Everyone looked at me, because all the prisoners had prepared themselves, dressed for the visit, or me, I came out of a site, and in the company of the cameras ... I will never forget our reunion with Bengü, our embracethe low.We always say that you have to have some friends in life.Loyal.es.As it is true.I felt like I was transported from hell to paradise, and to find Melek [Angel in Turkish] Bengü.But we could not speak properly, because a goalkeeper had encrusted the camera between us, and was working to intervene with everything I said.During the interview that lasted 15 minutes, I told Bengü, somehow, and asked a lawyer.She, she hugged me and told me "worry, I'm going to take care of everything" and she did it.We have crossed baffles together ... (as long as we are there, I thank this beautiful and exceptional person that is Melek Bengü şahin, my sister, my life friend, who works at the Metropolis town hall of Istanbul, aspsychologist).
So my friends.es, lawyer.es, and my family from the outside, would therefore be made aware of what was made to undergo, I was decompressing.Now all my time in this cell could be devoted to writing letters-report to all state authorities and human rights organizations, to tell what had happened.This is what was.Even once, the official reported the letters to me and said to me "we cannot send these letters, you criticize the administration".I looked at the camera, and replied "Recording, it's my legal right, you violate my rights, I will not take them back!"and my letters were sent.
The next day I was called for my deposition.The director of the establishment was still sitting in front of me, and cut his damn, with a little less confidence in him.Of course I did not agree.I suffered for hours just his pressure, and he tried to make me accept his crazy fictions.I portray the facts, shown my two neighborhood friends as witnesses.Since they had been called upon to testify without my knowing it, and had stated exactly the same facts, my words were clarified.The cabale that the director, who loved me so much, tried to climb against me, collapsed thus ...
Obviously, my lawyer Tugay Bek, never left me alone in this cell.He was near me, as usual, he came to visits, and he intervened with the director so that the isolation was lifted.All these efforts were in vain.My future was always uncertain.But as public opinion was aware, now, my human needs was met, and I was even brought to the gym for 3 hours a day, alone, I could also access hot water for coffee andtea.In addition, the prison prosecutor was transferred to another district, and a new prosecutor assigned to the establishment.I knew this when the new prosecutor came to inspect the cells.During the visit, he said to the officials who accompanied him "she said" cell "for that?But these are individual rooms ”.Well, in this case you only had to come and stay there Mr. Prosecutor ... I knew it, he loved me too.
After 15 days of isolation, one morning, the door of the cell of suddenly opened and I am told "you will be transferred".The time that was given to me to prepare my things was barely ten minutes.And my belongings in the neighborhood had already been quickly picked up and put in the ring, the prison vehicle.Obviously part of these cases lacked.Later, I made dozens of requests, from my new prison, I stripped myself a lot to recover them, and finally I succeed ...
Where were we ?Yes, when I got out of the cell and brought to the admission space of the prisoners, both the soldiers and the ring were ready, there was no more than me.I was going to get into the ring, and put myself on the road, without knowing where I was going to be brought.Just before taking the ring, the civil servants has hastily collapsed a paper in the hand.I could only read it once on the road.The absurdity continued, I had been given a disciplinary sanction: prohibition of visits, for 3 months.For which motive ?"Say bad things in the establishment".I laugh throughout the trip.I then asked the commander where we were going, and I received the answer: “Kayseri”.
In the first weeks of August 2018, without being able to say goodbye to my friends in Tarsus, I was definitively deported to Kayseri prison.I learned that all the deported prisoners of Tarsus here, denounced by letters the administration of Tarsus prison, and filed complaints.I think that even the Ministry of Justice could no longer be of the prison of women in Tarsus.What were they going to do then?Would there be an investigation into these allegations?Would those responsible be sanctioned?I was in no way sure, because the purpose of all my denunciations, my complaints on what I had experienced, was non-loose on non-places, and to what I know, the person I speak is always theDirector of Tarsus's Woman Prison.So, Minister of Justice Abdülhamid Gül, what will you do with all that, huh?I am really curious, why did I have to undergo all this, and why did I stay there authors stayed for the authors?
Ah yes, what has become the sanction attributed to me?I challenged her, and during the first hearing before the sentencing court, the judge said to me “Madam, you did not commit a crime, what you did is not an offense, therefore,I cancel this sanction ”.In this segbis play (audiovisual system), one of the Kayseri prison guards who stood near me, rejoiced as much as I am, we got away.Do not say that this is not possible, this kind of solidarity of women can sometimes show themselves with certain people ...
I must specify that what I tell you is a simple summary of what I have experienced.Do not say “what a summary, and so long!”, Believe me there would be much more to say ...
In the next chronicle, we will turn the lantern towards Sivas, and enlighten the oppressions, the darkness of the prisons of Sivas.Hang on please…
Aslıhan Gençay
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