Hope reigns in Silivri Prison: We are pacing for justice in the yard
There is support and participation from Silivri for the Justice March that Kılıçdaroğlu has launched. Our colleagues have sent the message, ‘The footsteps of the hundreds of thousands seeking justice for all bring hope for all of us.’
cumhuriyet.com.trIndependent Ankara member of parliament Aylin Nazlıaka went to Silivri and visited Musa Kart, Kadri Gürsel, Güray Öz and Murat Sabuncu.
Nazlıaka, indicating that the journalists are readying themselves for the first hearing on 24 July, said, ‘The most fitting attribute for honourable journalists is the readiness to fight and it is clear that they are continuing to sport this attribute on the inside.’ Nazlıaka, noting that the journalists are following the ‘justice march’, said, ‘With them previously walking in the courtyard for their health, a political dimension has now been added to these walks. For example, Musa Kart was previously taking ten thousand steps per day, and has now increased this to fifteen thousand to keep step with Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.’
WE ARE MARCHING FOR JUSTICE, TOO
Murat Sabuncu: I have been in a cell in Silivri for eight months in deafening silence. Not long ago, we began to hear a sound that tore into this silence, first starting gently and gradually wrapping round our spirits and bodies. The footsteps of the crowd that set out from Ankara’s Güven Park to walk to Istanbul, of the hundreds of thousands seeking justice for all, bring hope for all of us. This action that CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has launched and takes in all those who have suffered injustice to the exclusion of nobody is very valuable for us. Even if we run up against a wall after each step in the tiny, thirteen-step exercise yard, we, too, are marching for justice. When we march for justice, there remain neither walls nor bars in front of us.
THEY ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING
Kadri Gürsel: We, the defendants in the Cumhuriyet trial, will from our first hearing slated for 24 July give our testimony laying bare the indictment that is full of nonsensical charges and devoid of proof, and defend justice. When we appear before a judge, the time we will have spent in Silivri will amount to nine months. This on its own is an injustice. This injustice is then further augmented in that it is based on this document that defies description as an indictment. In view of this, I am happy to see the defence of trampled-on rights and our law through the justice march that CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has launched. I send my greetings and love to everyone who is keeping the Justice March going and participating in this action. We have undoubtedly reached the end of our tether and justice has become an urgent and shared demand of very wide sections of society. Kılıçdaroğlu and his friends are exercising their constitutional rights that are beyond dispute and cannot be considered to be a favour. They are doing the right thing to voice their demand for justice and I congratulate them. A Turkey in which justice prevails is the shared yearning of all of us.
FOR SOCIAL READINGS
Musa Kart: Turkey is debating justice. But, none of the parties to the debate is able to say, ‘There is justice in this country.’ In 2016, Turkey was ranked 99th in the rule of law index covering 113 countries. A few years earlier, Turkey occupied 50th place in this index. It would appear that we need to march not just for our bodily readings like blood sugar and cholesterol, but also for our social readings.
LIKE THE MINE MARCH
Güray Öz: We cannot join the march because we are here. However, we accompany this action while walking in the yard. We consider this march to be very important. This action is the largest, most all-embracing move following the Mine March that was organised in Zonguldak. We want to be there, too. But, for the time being we take part in this action in prison. I extend my respect and love to Kemal. We know that this walk will not be short. It will last longer, right until it attains its goal. I must also say that I find the sentence handed down to Enis to be very absurd. They tell us, ‘Respect court decisions,’ but we prefer to show respect to the law, because unfortunately not every court decision complies with the law. History is full of unlawful court decisions.