İZMİR - Yusuf Aydın, who was released from prison after 30 years and stated that he was sad because of the friends he left behind, said that the struggle of the people kept them alive.

 

Yusuf Aydın, who was held in İzmir Aliağa Şakran No. 1 Type T Closed Prison, was released on November 19 after 30 years of detention. Aydın, who was arrested after being detained during a raid on his home in Izmir on November 19, 1993, was sentenced to life imprisonment in the trial conducted by the State Security Court (DGM) on the charge of "trying to separate some of the lands under the sovereignty of the state from the state administration".

 

Aydın, who entered prison at the age of 32 and was released at the age of 62, was born in 1961 in the village of Kunifir in the Stewr (Savur) district of Mêrdîn. Aydın, who had to migrate to Izmir with his family in 1992 due to state pressure, was detained and arrested a year later (1993). Aydın, who stayed in Buca, Aydın, Bolu and Buca Kırıklar prisons respectively, was released from Şakran Type T Closed Prison, where he was last transferred.

 

AYDIN WROTE 15 BOOKS

 

Aydın, who developed his native Kurdish with the help of his friends in prison and taught thousands of prisoners to read and write in their native language in the process, wrote 1 novel, 3 stories and 11 poetry books that have not yet been published. Aydın, who also learned to paint during this time, spoke about the struggle in prisons.

 

'THE STRUGGLE OF THE PEOPLE SURVIVED US''

 

Stating that although prison had many challenging aspects, this 30-year period made him more clear, Aydın said: “Being in a dungeon on the one hand and not being able to be with the family on the other could be challenging because my children were young then. But we were revolutionaries and we were struggling. I have never made a distinction between the children of my people and my own children. Inevitably, a part of us remained there. But that's how the struggle goes. It was the same for me and for the thousands of friends I stayed with. The struggle of our people was keeping us alive in prison. The struggle of the people survived us."

 

AYDIN IMPROVED HIS MOTHER TONGUE AND TAUGHT IT TO HIS FRIENDS

 

Stating that prison causes changes in many aspects of a person's life, Aydın said: "I improved my mother language with the help of my friends in prison and later taught it to thousands of prisoners. What keeps people alive is what they produce and their creatures. I think, 'Where was I, where did I come from?' I taught by learning from my friends. We worked and grew unconsciously in metropolitan cities. Life in prison changed us. First we got to know ourselves. We turned the prison into a school, which creates awareness and belief in people. Before prison, I couldn't put two words together. I have written 15 books that have not been published yet."

 

WHAT AYDIN FELT AT THE MOMENT OF RELEASE

 

Stating that he felt like he was going to be happy when he saw his children when he first got out of prison, but on the other hand, he was sad because of the friends he left behind, Aydın said: "I believed that one day everyone would be free. We need to be more enthusiastic. The system is applying pressure with all its institutions. There is a great violation of rights with the release regulation that has been implemented for the last two years. The regulation that was issued 2 years ago is being implemented for people who were arrested 30 years ago. This is where the real injustice emerges. The release of prisoners whose sentences have expired. It is being postponed. If we are going to live in brotherhood, new laws should be enacted and this should be regulated."

 

THE SITUATION OF ILL PRISONERS

 

Stating that one of the biggest problems in prison is the condition of ill prisoners, Aydın continued as follows: “There is a doctor and an infirmary in the prison. But there is no answer to health problems, they only prescribe medication. Prisoners with serious illnesses need to go to hospital; however, there are obstacles there too. When going to the hospital, thousands of excuses are made, such as 'take off your shoes', 'turn around', 'open your mouth'. This causes our friends' health problems to deepen. For example, many of my friends in Şakran have serious health problems. It seems like there is an agreement between the prison administration, the gendarmerie and even the doctors at the hospital against ill prisoners. These should be emphasized and something should be done to release ill prisoners."

 

MA / Delal Akyüz