Veysel İlhan was arrested on April 2, 1992, in the events that took place after the villages of Qûrdîse (Yaydere), Kanîya Şêx (Source) and Kûrika Çeto (Aytepe) in Mardin's Artuklu district were burned to the ground, aiming to drive people out of the village and displace them. İlhan, who was tried at Diyarbakır State Security Court (DGM) and sentenced to life imprisonment, was released on March 26 after 30 years of imprisonment. After being released from Bandırma No. 2 Type T Closed Prison, İlhan first visited his relatives in Istanbul and then came to the Kızıltepe district of Mardin, where his family lives. 

 

İlhan, who was only 17 when he was arrested, was released at the age of 47. İlhan, who spent 30 years in 4 different prisons, suffered from many diseases and joined the hunger strike many times. Struggling against every oppression in prison, İlhan told the Mesopotamia Agency (MA) about his 30-year prison process.

 

'LIFE WAS VERY DIFFERENT'

 

Ilhan, who stated that he was not aware of many developments in 1992 when he was arrested, said, “We did not have these ideas. There was only emotional attachment and love. In this way, we took our place in the struggle. We were held in prison, lived and studied. We understood the reality of life, what the truth is. The life we had in mind and the reality were very different. We came from a feudal society. This was our reality. Afterwards, we realized this and started to live our lives according to the necessities of it.”

 

'WE HAD A LOT OF FAITH'

 

Expressing that the habitual lifestyle is no longer sustainable, İlhan said, “We have already lived this way for centuries and have not gained anything. When we look at the history of the Kurds, there have always been losses due to such things. But in prison I saw that our reality was comradeship. If it wasn't so, it would not have been possible to exist in the dungeon for so many years. It was this belief that kept us alive. We always had hope. We had great faith in the struggle. We had no doubt about it. Without this belief, the life that the system teaches is of no use to us. After thousands of years of life, we saw that the reality of the life they tought us was not our history. For the first time we saw the our own reality. I am happy with what I have learned and experienced.”

 

'COMPARTNERSHIP IS OVER EVERYTHING'

 

Stating that everything in prison life is carried out in a planned and systematic way, İlhan said that everything from reading to sleeping, from eating to entertainment  is in a shared and planned manner. İlhan explained the secret of surviving in prison, "A person cannot stay in prison if there is no sharing. They can't stand seeing each other in the same room for 24 hours. Without the spirit of comradeship, without the consciousness of the party, one would not have put up with each other for so long. I have a friend with whom I stayed for 30 years. Thanks to this understanding of comradeship, there had no problems between us because this comradely love was above all else. That's what kept us alive."

 

BIGGEST PROBLEM IN PRISON

 

İlhan said that their biggest shortcoming in the prison were the lack of solidarity between the lawyers and MPs and the prisoners, and this situation had a negative effect on the prisoners. İlhan said, “Despite this, we never lost our hope for our people. We kept our faith. We did not think that the approach of the lawyer was due to their neglect of the people. We know that it was an individual situation.”

 

LEGACY OF LEADING STAFF

 

Stating that they built a life on the legacy of the pioneer members of the PKK who lost their lives in death fasts and tortures in Diyarbakır Prison. İlhan said, "Every person in prison acts with the awareness of protecting the legacy of those who lost their lives."

 

HE DID NOT FEEL FREEDOM

 

Answering the question about what he encountered outside after his release with a smile, İlhan said: “We were aware that there was traces of the life we had before. A lot of time has passed. We discussed among ourselves how life has changed, how technology has taken its place in people's lives. We discussed that we should be aware, that we should not melt into this life, that we should protect ourselves. In other words, what I've seen and felt outside since I am released; I wanted to go back to the prison the same night, the life in prison and the life outside are 100 percent different.”

 

 

Stating that he did not think he was free when he got out of prison, İlhan said, “At least I look at it that way. When our people, our land are free, then we are free. This is freedom for me. The prison is called prison, but the people outside are more imprisoned. At least in the prison, when you want to say something, when you want to argue, you can do it. It's not like this outside.  A very individual and personal life has been established.”

 

THE PEOPLE'S STRUGGLE

 

Emphasizing that the people gave him hope during his imprisonment, İlhan said, "If there is going to be a revolution, women will lead it. The struggle of the Kurdish people and women brought their faith and hopes back to life. I still believe this. If there is going to be a revolution today, it will be a women's revolution. They are smarter, more practical, and ahead of us. I can say the same for society. Of course, I will see it better outside now." 

 

Emphasizing that his expectation is that those who worked, those who lost their lives, and those who struggled should not be forgotten, İlhan concluded his words as follows: “Their memories should be protected. This can only happen through struggle. Our President and the children of our people are in prison today. Thousands of our people were killed. These should not be forgotten. It should not be thought that this system has been established and cannot be changed. We need to have faith. The revolution is not that simple.”

 

 

MA / Ahmet Kanbal