Brussels, 21/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - The forceful intervention by the forces of law and order (that left some twenty people dead) in prisons that were literally taken by assault on Tuesday and Wednesday to put an end to the hunger strike begun by prisoners to secure the annulment of transfers to other prisons planned by the government, has led to different reactions.
The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Lord Russell-Johnston, made the following statement: "I regret the loss of human lives and call for restraint and moderation. I understand that the objective of the prison reform, which caused these hunger strikes, is to improve the living conditions and security in the penitentiary system in Turkey. I would, however, like to place emphasis on the fact that the reform and its implementation must respond to Council of Europe standards in the matter. Likewise for the intervention of the security forces. I support the initiatives of the Turkish authorities to involve the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) in efforts to put an end to the hunger strike movements". On 10 December, the Turkish authorities met a delegation of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture of the Council of Europe, which took part in an attempt at mediations with the imprisoned hunger strikers led by the Committee of Enquiry of Turkey's Grand National Assembly. The delegation decided to leave on 15 December, having noted that is was not in a position to identify means to put an end to the hunger strike.
The international Federation of Human Rights Leagues launched an appeal for an immediate end to the violence and deplored the "inability of the Turkish authorities to ensure minimum security in the prisons, other than by the use of weapons".
More than 200 prisoners had embarked on a two-month hunger strike to protest against the transfer of prisoners from run-down and over-populated prisons to new detention centres. The prisoners refuse the replacement of 60-people dormitories by establishments of 2 to 3-people cells; other than their attachment to collective living, they invoke the risk of ill-treatment.