Prisoners at Erzurum Dumlu No. 2 High Security Prison, which is frequently in the news for human rights violations, launched a protest refusing visits and phone calls after their complaints to the prison administration and judicial authorities about the poor conditions they face went unheeded. 

 

The prisoners are demanding that ventilation hours be returned to normal, the removal of fences that block sunlight from entering the cells, leaving them dark and airless, the removal of cameras overlooking the bathrooms and toilets, the cessation of searches that keep prisoners confined to their cells for up to 46 hours, the reinstatement of cancelled sports and course activities, and the lifting of book bans. 

 

Zeliha Kaya stated that she had an open visit with her son Ramazan Kaya on 5 December 2025, and said that arbitrary disciplinary penalties were being imposed in the prison. The mother, who relayed that her son had told her, "Even singing songs and cleaning are forbidden," expressed that the threats against prisoners were alarming. 

 

Zeliha Kaya said: "Prisoners are being threatened in prison by being told, 'We remember your names, we will show you when the process is over'. These threats should not be ignored. What is happening in prisons is aimed at sabotaging the peace process," she said.

 

'AN INDEPENDENT COMMITTEE SHOULD INVESTIGATE'

 

Pointing to the ongoing process, Zeliha Kaya stated that what was happening in prisons was worrying them, saying, "On the one hand, we are hopeful for peace, but on the other hand, we live in fear of receiving bad news from prisons. The ongoing lawlessness in prisons must end immediately. An independent commission should investigate what is happening in prisons. Our prisoners are not alone; we are always by their side," she said.

 

MA / Mehmet Gules