Irmak Uyan, one of the released students, tells 12punto: 'We were sleeping on the floor, they didn't even give us toilet paper'

Sinem Nazlı Demir - 12punto.com.tr

After participating in a student march in Beyazıt on March 19, Irmak Uyan was detained in a dawn operation by Counter-Terrorism teams on the morning of March 24. Uyan, who spent over two weeks at the Marmara Closed Penal Execution Institution (Silivri Prison), was released on April 11. Uyan's account of her time in prison to 12Punto revealed how the current conditions inside lead to human rights violations.

Describing the inadequacy of the detention conditions at the beginning of the process, Uyan stated that the officers did not provide any materials, even for toilet needs:

“We were sleeping on the floor in the detention cell, on sponges. They didn't even give us napkins for the toilet. The response to our request for napkins was, ‘The toilets get clogged.’ They only gave us a sandwich with spoiled cheese as food. We were scared, we didn't want to eat. We said we were hungry, our lawyers wanted to send food, but it was not accepted.”

'46-PERSON WARD OPENED WITH A 32-PERSON CAPACITY'

Stating that there were 13 of them when they first entered the prison, Uyan described how the ward filled up and the crowd increased in the following days:

“The ward had just been opened for us. We laid out our own beds. One morning we woke up and saw that new people had arrived. The number of women increased every day. We were staying 46 people in a ward that was supposed to hold 32. Mattresses were thrown on the floor, rooms were tripled. During the first open visitation, families experienced a crush, then they separated the wards.”

AGAINST THE ADVICE TO 'COVER YOUR FACE': 'I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING'

Recounting that she was taken with handcuffs behind her back during the process of entering the police station, Irmak Uyan shares a piece of “advice” she was given:

“A police officer came up to me and said, as if doing me a favor, ‘Cover your face, that's my advice to you.’ I said, ‘Why should I cover it? I didn't do anything. Even you don't know why you took me in.’ I asked the police, ‘Why did you take me in?’ The answer was: ‘I don't know, we'll find out when we get to the station.’”

'IF WE STAY SILENT FOR FEAR OF BEING PROFILED, IT WON'T DO ANY GOOD'

Stating that she is aware of the pressures she faced after the detention and imprisonment process, Uyan emphasizes that she will not give up the struggle despite this:

“Yes, I know there are threats. They say, ‘You won't be able to enter the state, you will be profiled.’ But staying silent for fear of being profiled won't do any good. They can't profile all of us. My school was delayed, so be it. Was it worth it? It was worth it. Everyone lying inside is my classmate. We may have different political views, but we marched for a common goal.”

THE 'MARGINAL' DISCOURSE AND THE DISCREDITING OF YOUTH

Irmak Uyan also opposes the “marginal” discourse used to stigmatize young people in the public eye with these words:

“While some of my friends are inside, their families are being called. They are told, ‘Your son is hanging out with marginal groups, save him.’ But we will never give up. I don't regret going because I know I am right. I also knew that all of this was unlawful. Whether we are 10 people or 10,000, we will seek our rights in Beyazıt Square. Whatever our political view, we will always stand side by side against the usurpation of will.”

LAWYER ONUR CİNGİL: WE ARE TALKING ABOUT POLITICS, NOT LAW

Irmak Uyan's lawyer, Onur Cingil, argues that what is happening is not just a legal issue, but a method of political pressure:

“As a lawyer, I know this is a profound illegality. This is not sustainable. But we are talking about politics here, not law. Taking 18-19-year-old children in dawn operations and associating them with terrorism is unacceptable.”

Cingil also draws attention to the physical violence the detained youth were subjected to:

“One of my young clients in prison had a broken nose and a cut on his eyebrow. I took a photo of it. His family was afraid of me publishing that photo. But my client said: ‘Brother, I will get out and I will convince them.’ That initial fear has now turned into courage.”

A GENERATION'S SEARCH FOR REPRESENTATION

Irmak Uyan's experiences, beyond just an individual grievance, raise serious questions about freedom of expression, the right to assembly, and the position of youth in the political sphere in Turkey.

While Article 34 of the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and demonstration, Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights protect freedom of expression and assembly. As a country party to these obligations, Turkey is responsible for guaranteeing these rights. However, the detention and imprisonment processes experienced by Irmak and her friends show that these obligations are being seriously violated.

Approaching the political actions of young people within the framework of “marginalization” or “terrorism” is incompatible with the fundamental values of a democratic society. Yet, as Irmak describes, young people with different political views are meeting at a common point this time: standing against the usurpation of will.

In Turkey, youth have for years been seen not as a political subject, but as a mass that needs to be controlled. However, today's young generation exhibits a structure that is digitally visible, has high organizational capacity, and is prone to collective struggle beyond political divisions.

Lawyer Onur Cingil's words, “We are talking about politics, not law,” carry a warning not only for today's picture but also for the future. Responding to the peaceful demands of young people with violence targets not only those individuals but the democratic accumulation of a country.

Irmak Uyan's following words summarize this picture in its simplest form:

“We may have differences, but we stood side by side against the usurpation of will.”

This sentence is the voice of a youth that carries the will to reshape a society. And suppressing this voice means losing not only today but also tomorrow.