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Turkish security forces stormed 20 prisons on Tuesday, December 19, resulting in the deaths of at least 21 prisoners, according to the Turkish Human Rights Association. The prisoners were on hunger strike in protest at a proposed move from prisons with ward-style communal living arrangements to isolation cells with 1-3 inmates, a situation which would be an invitation to increased physical and psychological torture. The prisoners, some of whom were on the 61st day of the hunger strike, threatened to immolate themselves rather than allow the authorities to forcibly remove them.

Although the Turkish authorities claimed that the raids were to save the prisoners' lives, their real motive was to continue the stranglehold on dissent that is necessary for this police state to survive. Turkey has 10,000 political prisoners, most of them in prison on no charge but membership in leftist organizations.

Turkey has been repeatedly cited by human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, for "systematic and widespread torture" in prisons. It has been brought before the European Court of Human Rights numerous times for its lack of basic human rights protections, especially with regard to its notorious counterinsurgency campaign against its Kurdish population, which has lasted for 16 years and resulted in the deaths of over 35,000 people.

Turkey is a close ally of the United States, whose aid is critical in maintaining the Turkish regime's ability to violate human rights and get away with it. It has been for years the third largest recipient of aid from the U.S., behind only Israel and Egypt, and has bought over $8 billion worth of arms from the U.S. in the past decade. The U.S. administration also gives Turkey diplomatic and political cover, and repeatedly interferes with efforts to censure Turkey for its actions.

Turkey is also highly dependent on Western multilateral economic institutions. It is currently seeking a $10 billion loan from the IMF in connection with a severe monetary crisis.

For all these reasons, pressure on Turkey by Western governments and by Western citizens can make a tremendous difference.

Please contact Turkish officials and those of your own government and demand the following:

1. Immediate access to prisoners in isolation cells or in hospitals by their lawyers and independent doctors

2. An immediate investigation into the raids, and prosecution of all those involved in ordering and carrying them out.

3. Complete acceptance of the prisoners' original demands, including guaranteed return to their previous communal living arrangements.

4. Immediate establishment of an independent committee of international human rights observers to coordinate negotiations with the prisoners.

5. Guaranteed medical care by doctors chosen by the prisoners.

For up-to-date information on this rapidly-evolving situation please visit:
www.oocities.org/humanrightstoday/prison.html

FAX NUMBERS OF TURKISH OFFICIALS

President (Salutation: Your Excellency)
+90-312 427 13 30
Prime Minister (Dear Prime Minister)
+90-312 417 04 76
Justice Minister (Dear Minister)
+90-312 417 39 54
Minister of Interior Affairs
+90-312 418 17 95

CONTACT RELEVANT OFFICIALS IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY AND URGE THEM TO REGISTER THEIR PROTEST WITH THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT

CONTACT INFO OF U.S. OFFICIALS
William Clinton
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC
Phone +1 (202) 456-1414
Fax +1 (202) 456-2461
president@whitehouse.gov

Madeleine Albright
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Phone +1 (202) 647-6575
Fax +1 (202) 647-7120
secretary@state.gov

Your Senators and Representatives Phone Capitol Switchboard: +1 (202) 224-3121
or http://www.house.gov and http://www.senate.gov for full contact info