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CALL, FAX AND EMAIL THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT AND YOUR OWN GOVERNMENT!

TIPS ON WRITING A LETTER OF PROTEST AND CONCERN

A phone call counts more than a fax and a fax counts more than an email.

A letter written in your own words is more effective than a form letter.

You can get your friends to send emails -- even though emails are generally not as effective, something is better than nothing and an email is very easy to send.

A protest letter/fax/phone call is not the place for lengthy political dialogue. Very often, the phone calls are handled by lower level staff members.

Feel free to fax, call, and email more than one institution / organization.

Click here for a list of phones, faxes and emails of relevant organizations.

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Prime Minister [President / Minister / Ambassdor], I am writing to express grave concern about the recent raid by the Turkish military police on political prisoners who had entered the 65th day of a hunger strike.  Their demand not to be transferred to prisons with small and potentially isolated cells (so called "F-type" prisons) is supported by many international human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.  International law explicitly defines long-term small group isolation as a form of torture. 1. An immediate investigation into the raids, and prosecution of all those involved in ordering and carrying them out. 2. Complete acceptance of the prisoners' original demands, including guaranteed return to their previous communal living arrangements and an immediate halt of the transfers to the isolation cells.. 3. Immediate establishment of an independent committee of international human rights observers to coordinate negotiations with the prisoners. 4. Guaranteed medical care by doctors chosen by the prisoners and IMMEDIATE access to prisoners by their lawyers and their chosen doctors.. I also urge you to do everything in your power to conduct a full scale and fair investigation into the deaths of dozens inmates in Turkish prisons at Ulucanlar, Buca, Umraniye and Diyarbakir. Such events will only add an ugly blot to Turkey's human rights record, which you have stated your eagerness to improve on many occasions. Yours Sincerely,

For More Information:

Email:

humanrightstoday@yahoo.com