Letter from Deniz Göktaş in his first month in prison: My morale is high, my health is good

Comedian Deniz Göktaş, who is being held at the Çorlu Karatepe High-Security Penal Institution, evaluated both his daily life in prison and some reports circulating about him on the outside in a letter he wrote during his first month of detention.

Göktaş stated that he began his letter accompanied by the words "My love is a prison, I am a prisoner inside" coming from the neighboring cell, and said that some statements shared about him did not reflect the truth. Noting that an attorney he did not know had spread information claiming that "Deniz said don't forget us," Göktaş emphasized that he had no such request.

Göktaş stated that the words "they cannot steal our joy," which he said at the time of his arrest, were also phrased with irony, and expressed that this expression was taken out of context by the time it reached social media. The comedian wrote that reports about him being "romantic, arabesque, or demanding" should not be given credence.

In his letter, Göktaş used the expressions, "My morale is high, my health is good. There wasn't a single moment in the entire month where I felt bad." Stating that prison is not a place to be romanticized, Göktaş also described daily deficiencies such as a keyboard and mustache scissors with a humorous tone.

HE DREW ATTENTION TO 'WELL-TYPE' PRISON CONDITIONS

In one of the important parts of the letter, Göktaş reminded that the prison where he is staying is known as a "well-type" prison. Stating that according to his short-term observations, lack of sunlight, lack of ventilation, and social isolation could cause permanent physiological and psychological damage, Göktaş expressed that there are prisoners who spend days and weeks without hearing a human voice other than during headcounts.

Göktaş wrote that he played "hide and seek with the sun" to benefit from sunlight due to the high walls in the courtyard. Stating that he named a pigeon that fell into his cell "Leo," the comedian also noted that Uğur Gürsoy drew this story in the August issue of Uykusuz.

Stating that letters and books coming from the outside are an important support for him, Göktaş said that lawyer visits are also a "breath of fresh air." Expressing that he teared up for the first time when he saw the banners opened at the METU graduation ceremony one morning, Göktaş thanked those who provided support.

Including his television impressions, Göktaş stated that he followed the statements made about him in some broadcasts and the foreign policy agenda during his first week, and expressed his criticisms with humorous references. He concluded his letter with a reading note: "I am still determined, I will finish Moby Dick. Even the prison reading commission can't finish it, it's a troublesome book."

News Source: 12punto