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Semra Basyigit dies on Hunger Strike
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Thursday August 08, 2002 16:33 by Mags - Solidarity with Hunger Strikers in Turkey thsireland at hotmail dot com
52 Hunger strikers have now died Protest at Turkish Embassy in Dublin Monday 12th August at 6pm All Welcome! The Turkish Embassy is located at 11 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 (Bus: 7 to Jurys Hotel in Ballsbridge, Clyde Road is behind the American Embassy. Nearest DART is Lansdowne Road) Organised by: Solidarity with Hunger Strikers in Turkey Semra Basyigit dies after 367 days on Hunger Strike Semra Basyigit has become the 92nd martyr of the prison protests in Turkey and the 52nd person to die on hunger strike in the campaign against the F-type isolation prisons. Despite all the recent media publicity about ‘reforms’ and the abolition of the death penalty in Turkey the hunger strikes continue, ignored by the outside world. More information on the background to the protest can be found at: http://www.geocities.com/turkishhungerstrike Semra Basyigit was born on July 27, 1978 in Domanic, Kutahya Province. She went to Uludag University, studying in the medical documentation and secretarial faculty. She joined the revolutionary struggle in the middle of 1996. The 1996 Death Fast was one of the most influential events in this period. For a while she was an active correspondent for the periodical Kurtulus ("Liberation"). She was imprisoned on February 3, 1998 and was held for a time in prison. After her imprisonment she resumed the struggle. She evaluated her imprisonment as follows: "As long as the truth is being defended, some of us will be imprisoned. As it appears, it is now our turn. But it must be clear to everyone that they will silence us neither with imprisonment, nor torture, nor massacres. It is a glaringly obvious fact that there is no difference between being inside or outside prison. So there are people who are resisting, both inside the jails and outside them. People resisting for the sake of victory." Unlike many of the resistance fighters, Semra Basyigit was not in prison in December 19-22, 2000, at the time of the massacre. When the resistance started, she was not in prison. But she knew, she saw, that the F-Types were not just destined for those who were in jail. Outside prison she had taken part in some solidarity actions and when in Bursa she went on hunger strike with a number of relatives and friends of prisoners. Among them was Hulya Simsek, who was to die in the Death Fast. On January 6, 2001, 10 people were imprisoned, among them Semra Basyigit. From then on, Semra continued her struggle inside prison. She was a volunteer for the Death Fast and joined the 6th Death Fast Team in Kartal Special Prison. She began the Death Fast on July 28, 2001. She died on July 30th after 367 days on hunger strike.
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Jump To Comment: 1 2What I find sad and depressing is that I am the first person to make a comment on these tragic events. As I am not based in Dublin, I cannot get to any protests but can only send my best wishes to all the people who are engaged in solidarity work.
Thanks Oliver for your message of support.
The protest went quite well for a one hour vigil, though it would be good if more political groups got off their collective arses and came along to support it. Interestingly 4 police people (2 uniforms and 2 branch) thought it was worthwhile to sit looking at us for an hour. Two dodgy looking types from the Embassy also came out and stood staring at us and later thought we would not notice them following us. They covered their faces when a camera was produced.
I have just heard that another POW has died on the hunger strike. Here is the notice about it. Arrangements for a protest have not been made yet, but I will post them when the details are finalised.
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From the website of Halkin Sesi TV, August 11, 2002)
Fatma Bilgin is to be buried in Hatay
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Fatma Bilgin, who lost her life in the Death Fast
action, will be buried tomorrow, August 12, in her
home region of Hatay
The DHKP-C prisoner Fatma BILGIN started the Death
Fast on June 3, 2001, as part of the 5th Death Fast team, while she was in Malatya Prison.
On March 26, 2002, when her condition worsened, she was removed to Ankara Numune Hospital for forcible medical intervention, and following the torture of forcible medical intervention she lost consciousness.
She lost her life on August 10.
Fatma Bilgin had been convicted of "membership of an organisation" under Paragraph 168 of the penal code of the Republic of Turkey, and was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment. She had been in prison for seven years.
According to information we have received, last week permission for a refakatci to look after her in hospital was withdrawn. (Refakatci literally means "companion". In Turkey's hospitals it is common for a friend or relative to stay in the hospital with someone who is ill.)
According to Fatma Bilgin's relatives, "the permission for refakatcis was withdrawn because they wanted to attempt further forcible medical intervention."
After the autopsy in Kecioren Forensic Medicine Foundation, Fatma Bilgin will be buried in Hatay on Monday (August 12).