Feridun Demir is a political prisoner who has been imprisoned for over 28 years in a Turkish prison. His parents Ayşe and Veysi Demir have been waiting to see their son free for almost three decades.
Ayşe and Veysi Demir live in the Suruç district of Urfa (Riha) province of Turkey. Both aged 74 years-old, they are not able to go to the prison visits anymore due to health problems that come with their elderly age.
Their son Feridun Demir was sentenced to an aggreviated life imprisonment sentence in 1993 on charges of “terrorism”.
“My son was only 17 years-old when he was detained. His age was increased on paper to 18, to be able to send him to prison”, mother Ayşe said in an interview with Mesopotamia Agency.
Remembering those days when her son was detained, Ayşe said: “He was tortured when he was detained”. He have seen prisons in Ankara, Adana, Konya and Mersin. Currently, he is jailed in Antalya Type-L Prison.
Feridun Demir has been transferred from one prison to another over the long years he spent jailed. He have seen prisons in Ankara, Adana, Konya and Mersin. Currently, he is jailed in Antalya Type-L Prison.
‘The last time I hugged him was 15 years ago’
Veysi Demir suffers from cancer and he can barely speak due to his heavy sickness.
“I don’t believe there is justice in this country. I want to see my son free,” Veysi said.
“I missed him so much. The last time I hugged him was 15 years ago. I always cry when I think of him.” These are the words of painful mother Ayşe.
The elderly couple lives in Urfa, which is more than 700kms away from Antalya, where their son is jailed.
“He is kept in a very far away prison. We are not able to travel such a long distance and go see him,” Ayşe said.
“We are 74 years old. There is no suffering left that we didn’t experience. Isn’t that such a pity? Are we not allowed to see our son before we die?”
‘I want to see him before I die’
The only way Demir couple can communicate with their son is the weekly phone calls, which is less than enough to fulfill their 28 years of longing and take a load off their minds regarding their concerns of his health.
“He was permanently damaged due to the tortures he was subjected to. He is still suffering. He kept saying that he would have a surgery, but he was not allowed to have the surgery,” Ayşe said. “He had an operation on his eye one time. He had a gastric bleeding when he was previously on hunger strike.”
“This time his friends did not allow him to join the ongoing hunger strike. He still has three years to be released. We will be able to see him unless we don’t pass away. I want to see him before I die, but I am afraid that I might.”
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