The suspicious deaths of 5 prisoners in Iğdır Type S Closed Prison in recent years have been publicized. Iğdır Type S Closed Prison, which came to the agenda in 2017 with the suspicious deaths of prisoners and rights violations, was chosen as the first application model for the 6 prisons built afterwards. Taking the architecture and practice of Iğdır Type S into consideration, many Type S Prisons were built in 2021, including Manavgat, Antalya, Bodrum, Kırşehir Kavak and Çarşamba. 

 

The module cells are 12-13 square meters in size with a bathroom-toilet and kitchen counter, and the prison wards have a single window opening to an empty space called a sunshade, which resembles an empty apartment. Since this window is also covered with steel nets, it is impossible to see daylight and the sky in the wards. 

 

Although prisoners in these prisons are not sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, they can only ventilate for 1.5 hours a day. 3-person cells in prisons are monitored by cameras installed inside the cell. 

 

SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF 5 PEOPLE

 

Despite the cameras installed inside the cells, Ümit Acar, Sezer Alan, Sinan Kaya, Ercan Çakar and Adnan Karayiğit died suspiciously on October 29, 2024. Deaths recorded as “suicide” or “death due to illness” are considered “suspicious” by both relatives and human rights defenders. Iğdır Type S Closed Prison inmate Ercan Çakar died on May 25, 2024. Çakar's father Ahmet Çakar said that they were called by the prison administration on May 25 and that his son had ended his life by committing suicide. Explaining that his son was in a good condition when he went to see him 5 days before the “suicide” news, father Çakar reminded that his son was threatened with death by guards and prison administration during the meeting.  

 

PRISONER 'COMMITTED SUICIDE' ASKED FOR CLOTHES FROM HIS FAMILY

 

In all the deaths that were called “suicide”, the last time the deceased told their families that they would be killed sheds light on the situation. On October 29, 2024, Adnan Karayiğit, whose family was called on October 29, 2024 and told that he had committed suicide, said that he had been threatened with death in a conversation with his sister a week ago and that the phones were tapped, so he could not give the name of the person or persons who threatened him. A week after this conversation, his family was called and informed that their child had committed suicide. Adnan Karayiğit's suicide after asking for shoes and clothes from family members in his last phone call raises suspicions about the suicide claim. 

 

HUNGER STRIKE AGAINST ISOLATION AND TORTURE

 

Iğdır, where suspicious suicide cases, torture, ill-treatment and rights violations are constantly reflected in the public opinion, was recently on the agenda with a hunger strike. On August 1, 2024, Faysal Çiçek announced that he went on an indefinite hunger strike due to torture, isolation, ill-treatment and humiliation of human dignity by the administration. After talks with Çiçek, who did not undergo blood pressure, blood and weight tests, he ended his hunger strike.

 

MINISTRY DOES NOT RESPOND

 

The parliamentary questions on ill-treatment and deaths submitted by Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Iğdır MP Yılmaz Hun, who brought the issue to the agenda, are left unanswered by the Ministry of Justice, for which the prisons are under its responsibility. Reminding that the 5th death occurred in Iğdır Type S Prison, Hun said that prisoners were subjected to rights violations and tortured in there. 

 

BEATING, TORTURE, VIOLATION OF RIGHTS

 

Stating that Iğdır is a prison that is defined as a prison of exile in various parts of Turkey, Hun said that prisoners are subjected to violence, ill-treatment and their rights are usurped. 

 

“Most recently, a prisoner went on hunger strike in Iğdır Prison, and when his demands were not met, he had to go on a death fast. Prisoners in this torture center have come to the point where they can even risk a death fast. We have repeatedly submitted parliamentary questions to the ministry to clarify these torture cases, prisoners' statements and these deaths. We suggested that a commission be formed to investigate the complaints in prison, but all our demands were persistently rejected,” he said.  

 

BARRIER TO EXTERNALIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE

 

Stating that the isolation policy is deepening day by day, Hun stated that the prison has been turned into a well with the pandemic process. Hun said that prisoners' sports activities, reading hours, ventilation and gathering rights are restricted or completely prevented. 

 

Hun continued as follows: “Family visits are prevented for very simple reasons. Prisoners are subjected to mobbing and threats, as can be seen in what they tell their families during phone calls. Attempts are made to prevent them from reflecting the problems they face inside the prison to the outside. Prisoners are being subjected to death over a long period of time. This legally shows the point that society has reached in terms of the AKP-MHP's governance, it shows the point of decay. It shows the point of justice and democracy in Turkey.” 

 

MA / Ruken Polat