Original subtitles

اين فيلم بر اساس وقايع زندان شهر دياربکر (ئامد) در 1980ساخته شده است

... تقديم به کساني که آنقدر عاشق زندگي هستندکه حاضرند جان خود را براي آن فدا کنند

چهارده تيرماه کارگردان: هاشم آيدمير

1988 اکتبر استانبول

اسات اکتاي ييلدران؟

... من

اسات اکتاي ييلدران

نيستم

من، اسات اکتاي ييلدران

افسر امنيتي

زندان نظامي دياربکر

! شما

با دقت به من گوش بدين

35 بند

اين زندان مقررات داره

شما ازش پيروي مي کنين

اينجا يه زندان نيست

اينجا يه آموزشگاه نظاميه

اگه از قوانين اطاعت کنين

راحت خواهيد بود

اگه از قوانين اطاعت کنين

نجات پيدا مي کنين

اگه از قوانين اطاعت کنين

هر چيزي احتياج داشته باشين انجام ميشه

از شر اين عقايد مسخره و من درآوردي

مثل

مارکسيسم

کومونيسم

سوسياليسم

و کورد بودن خلاص ميشين

و گرنه

با روش خودم باهاتون رفتار مي کنم

سه روز وقت دارين

! مرگ بر ديکتاتوري فاشيستي

! زنده باد سوسياليسم

دفاع از وجود خلق کورد جدايي طلبي نيست

!زنده باد مبارزه کردها براي آزادي

زنده باد برادري خلق تورک و کورد

سه روز وقت دارين

1981 فوريه زندان نظامي ئامد

"How happy is the one who says I'm a Turk" soldiers marching.

Commander.

Commandership of 7th Army Corps of Amed Office of Lieutenant General Kemal Yamak

Sergeant major Mevlut has separated the law-abiding prisoners from the others.

He has sent the law-abiding ones to their wards

and the others to wards 35 and 36.

I inspected them today.

We will make the others obey the rules as well, sir

Listen to me, Captain.

The first rule of war is...

never underestimate your enemy.

There is no power left that can stand against us

Only the Apoists

And we have got most of their leading cadres in our hands.

If we can cow them into submission

then we will bury the Kurdish separatist movement for good

That is why your mission is of grave importance.

Yes, sir!

I chose you because of your experience at the Greek prison camp in Cyprus.

You didn't disappoint me there,

and I hope you won't disappoint me here either.

Mazlum Dogan

from Elazig... University of Hacettepe

Akif Yilmaz

born in 1956...

from Kars

Ali Cicek...

from Urfa

PKK Apoists.

Mustafa Karasu

from Gurun, Sivas.

Mehmet Hayri Durmus

from Bingol.

PKK Apoists

Kemal Pir

from Gumushane

university of Ankara

PKK Apoists

Is Kemal their leader?

Yes, sir.

That's why they call him "Abi" (Elder)

That's right, sir.

Kemal is their leader.

They follow him.

But the ringleader is Hayri.

Even Kemal listens to him.

So, why do they call Hayri "doctor"?

Is it his code name?

Hayri was studying medicine, sir.

That's why they call him "doctor".

well...

Kemal Pir from Gumushane...

Hayri Durmus from Bingol...

another one from Kars...

another one from Sivas

How the fuck did they come together?

They met while they were studying in Ankara.

Apo brought them together.

These scum are going to give us a hard time.

Halt!

Left turn!

You!

Are you a Turk?

Right turn!

March forward!

Take positions for beating!

All prisoners, take your positions and hold out your hands for beating!

Listen to me, Captain.

we won't accept any dishonouring acts in this prison;

Get that through your head!

March!

Remember these screams!

Kurdistan is turning into Vietnam!

You!

Are you a Turk?

Yes, I am.

Yes, I am.

Yes, I am.

I am.

Hey son,

give them a haircut like Elizabeth Taylor's;

we want to be entertained!

They were going to make a so-called revolution

But I will make you into stars

Now we can shoot our film.

Shut the fuck up!

Wake up girls,

Your pastry is here.

Wake up!

Hey son, give the pastries to the prisoners who are cooperating.

come on, wake up

Listen up, boys.

As you see

the benevolent state takes good care of those who are obedient.

You guys too, just say that "I am a Turk",

and you'll be comfortable.

You'll get food...

tea...

cigarettes...

Hey son,

Keep them like that until they say "I am a Turk"

No food for them!

Come on, girls,

why don’t we say we are Turks, just once?

Otherwise we'll starve to death

I can't take it anymore.

Doctor,

is it cloudy or sunny out there?

It's sunny.

They are trying to break our will.

They want to intimidate us before the trial.

But whatever the cost,

we have to go to trial and defend ourselves there.

No one can stop me from defending my party.

We have to do something.

More and more of us are giving in.

We have to do something

Attention!

Look, Serhat:

You would want your wife to see you here in this situation, would you?

Huh?

How about I give your wife to my soldiers?

Could you imagine what they'd do to her?

Huh?

There is only one thing I am asking of you

Just say that I am a Turk:

You'll get your clothes back,

and no one will touch your wife.

Just say out loud "I am a Turk".

That's all.

Hey Rooster,

Take Serhat Palamut's wife.

I am a Turk.

I am a Turk.

There you go!

You've earned your right to get your clothes back.

Take him away.

Your husband has become my soldier's wife.

You are not needed anymore.

If you ever harass a woman in this ward again,

we will go on an indefinite hunger strike

You can't die so easily.

No one can dare

go on hunger strike in my prison

Sakine Cansiz:

I brought the men's ward to heel,

and I will bring you to heel, too.

First, we will make decent people out of you;

then you will be Turks,

and only then can you deserve to die.

That's how it is.

Left turn!

Captain!

You listen to us now, Captain:

you can't make us submit to you through torture,

and we don't accept these inhumane actions against us.

As of today

I and 14 of my friends are going on an indefinite hunger strike

to protest your dishonouring treatments.

I, Mehmet Hayri Durmus,

go on an indefinite hunger strike.

I, Mustafa Karasu, go on an indefinite hunger strike.

I, Akif Y?lmaz, do the same.

I, Ali Erek, go on strike too.

Me too.

Ahmet Bilmez, from Malatya, at your service, sir.

Fehmi Yasar, from Urfa, at your service.

Present yourself, you scum!

If you don't present yourself then there's no visit.

Don't move, scum!

You son of a bitch;

what the hell are you looking at?

You say "at your service".

He doesn't speak Turkish, sir.

Are you his lawyer, douche bag? Huh?

Are you??

How come he cannot speak Tchurkish?

Aren't you Tchurks already, scum?

You can be separatists, but you can’t speak Tchurkish, huh?

You'll get what you deserve

"How happy is the one who says I'm a Turk"

Fuck my mother if I don't teach you speak to Turkish fluently.

Fuck me if I don't make you a Turk from head to toe!

You've got one and a half minutes:

The visit starts now!

How are you, my dear?

You can't speak Kurdish!

Stop it, don't do that.

You scum!

Open the door,

the visit's over!

"Speak Turkish- Speak a lot"

You faggot!

Why the fuck have we brought you to the infirmary?

Huh?

Just say that "I am a Turk", and that's all,

You'll be saved!

Listen,

your throat's in bad, bad shape.

If you don't accept treatment, it won't get any better

You won't be able to eat at all

Take this faggot away.

Ali?

How are you?

Why don't you say anything?

Ali, it's me, Kemal. Say something!

What have they done to you?

Why don't you say anything?

Ali!

As Commanders, officers and soldiers...

all of us are willing to sacrifice everything,

even our lives,

for the prosperity of our country

Fuck off!

You preach there, and we get fucked up here.

All suspects detained in the case of the PKK Apoists

are present before the court.

Public trial begins.

The indictment 1981/59, that was prepared by

the military attorney of Diyarbakir Martial law Command on January 19, 1981,

had been read to the suspects.

You are charged with founding an illegal armed organization

to separate some parts of the country from its authority,

and with carrying out armed attacks for this purpose.

The persons who are called by name will come forward to identify themselves.

Mustafa Heybetli

What is your name and surname?

Mustafa Heybetli.

Your place and date of birth?

Siverek, 1954.

What is your job?

Electric technician.

OK. You may be seated.

Your name and surname?

There are inhumane treatments

and tortures in prison.

To protest this, 14 of our friends in ward 35

have been on an indefinite hunger strike for 40 days.

Although our friend Ali Erek ended his strike,

he didn't get treatment and he died

because he wouldn't obey the rules.

To protest this, 15 of us have gone on an indefinite hunger strike.

As a protest against the acts that have occurred in the prison.

I refuse to identify myself.

You're in a courtroom.

What happens in a jail is an administrative problem, not ours.

You answer my questions.

I refuse to identify myself.

Take him away.

Is this a courtroom or a torture room!?

Then you obey the rules.

I thought you would be successful,

but now I see you've messed it up.

Sir...

Damn your "sir"!

You underestimated the importance of your mission

What will Ankara say if they hear about this?

We don't want them to die as heroes and martyrs

We want to be finished with them!

Get it? Finished!

They will leave here as Turks.

They will not take a single breath as Kurds here.

Now go and sort it out, Captain.

You can do whatever you like.

Be careful. I don't want too many deaths.

Yes, sir.

Well, well... boss...

you look worn out from hunger

Why don't you have a seat and we chat a little.

I know I am not here for a chat, Captain.

Cut the crap and get to the point.

Well, Kemal

I see that you are determined to die.

Just stop this already, ok?

We haven't gone on strike for fun, captain.

We started it to stop the atrocities you have been carrying out:

You don't even let us defend ourselves in court

OK. You have my word, my word as a soldier:

We will let you defend yourselves.

You can talk to your lawyers and families too.

OK?

I don't know. I must talk with my friends.

I can't make a decision on my own.

I give you word of honour.

Agreed?

I'll let you defend yourselves;

you'll have pen and paper.

You go talk with your friends, now.

Say that "I am a Tchurk"

I am a Tirk

You'll say "I am a Tchurk, a Tchurk!"

well, I...am...a...Tirk

Hey woman... don't drive me mad.

You'll say I am a Tchurk, a Tchurk!

Dear almighty God

This son of a bitch doesn't know how to say "Tirk" and yet he is trying to teach me!

You will never ever speak Kurdish in this ward

Only Tchurkish!

Tchurkish

One week later

Well, well...

What's up guys?

Are you in a hurry for your visits?

This is a military school.

You'll march to your visit in military order, and sing the anthem.

OK. Get in line

Get in line.

You gave us your word, Captain.

You said no there'd be no marching and no anthem;

and no more torture and beatings.

Keep your word, Captain.

A promise given to communists and separatists has no meaning.

Get that through your head!

No matter what

I will bring you to heel,

and I won't let you die until you obey the rules.

Get in line.

And you get this through your head, captain:

We won't accept any inhumane treatment.

Unless you march there will be no visit.

If you don't obey the rules, then you won't be at peace.

Let them have it!

They're fine.

Go on!

Kemal?

March forward!

left...left...left, right, left...

Sing the anthem: "How happy is the one who says I am a Turk"

March properly, faggot.

Halt!

Left turn

Get naked

What is it?

Comrades?

The resistance...

we'll...

end...

the resistance

They took Kemal to Hayri's cell.

Hayri told Kemal to call off the strike

as a tactic

There are only a few of us still resisting.

The leading cadres don't have contact with the wards.

Did Hayri really say to call it off?

Yes.

If we comply, then we can get into contact with our friends

If we call off the strike, then the tortures may be bearable

And then we can organize a new resistance.

It's ok, Kemal.

Resistance can be put aside for a while

for the sake of a greater resistance.

You!

Listen up

This is Diyarbakir military prison

In the end, everybody obeys the rules here.

Some submit in a month;

some submit in a year

I'll re-educate you and get the separatist ideas out of your brain

to the point where

you won't want to leave the prison

even if we let you go.

Listen up!

Your leaders gave in too.

Whoever has separatist ideas should know this well:

The State is mighty.

Resistance to the State is futile.

Today marks the beginning of a new era for our prison

Welcome, my sons.

Welcome.

This is Diyarbakir military prison.

I'm homeland security officer, Esat Oktay Yildiran

It seems that you have been treated badly in custody.

But you are our respected guests here.

It's our mission to deliver you to your families safe and sound

after you have served your sentences.

Here, boy,

Take care of our guests.

Yes, sir!

Take them to the baths,

make them clean as a whistle,

make them look human.

May God bless you, commander:

the infidels didn't let me pray at the police station.

Move, move...

Take them.

Sir?

I don't know why they brought me here.

They said the Apoists crossed your fields.

How could I know that?

Commander, I must pray

I swear to god, my sins are getting higher than a mountain.

OK, uncle.

You can make your prayer after you get cleaned up.

Everybody, take your clothes off;

you'll be given new clothes after.

Come on, get naked.

Come on, come on!

Go on

Sir,

I will not get naked in front of everyone.

It is shameful and sinful.

OK, Pop. Do it over there.

Go on.

Welcome to Hell, girls.

What the hell are you doing?!

Cut his hair,

come here and cut his hair.

"How happy is the one who says I am a Turk"

Halt!

Left turn

What the fuck are you doing?

Is this some kind of a protest, faggot?

Everyone will find a piece of shit in a minute

and rub it on your head

When you're finished, you can go inside.

The ones that don't have shit on their heads...

I'll put them in this cesspool.

Rub it in now, bitches.

Why the fuck are you taking my shit?

What? My shit!

It's mine!

What the hell's going on there?!

He took my shit, sir.

Sir, he's lying. It's my shit.

Come here, you scum.

Where is your shit, asshole?

He took my shit, sir.

Get into the cesspool, bitches.

Stick them in there!

Get me out of here!

We can't wait anymore, comrade.

We must do it now.

This is the only way we can make it stop.

If we do it now

they won't give us a chance to defend ourselves

We must do it now, comrade.

We can't resist in this wretchedness anymore.

Be patient...

Be patient a bit longer..

We must be patient, ok?

Among others,

Serhat Palamut and Mazlum Dogan threatened me

Some of them had pistols.

They forced me to join the party.

So you repent?

Yes, I do.

Our State is powerful;

I took refuge in the State.

The State has been taking good care of us.

Our conditions are great.

There are some allegations about me. I want to respond.

OK. You can respond in there.

I know this man,

he is lying.

He joined the party voluntarily.

Now he is confessing

because of the torture and beatings in the prison.

People join the Revolution on a voluntary basis.

I joined this party because I was impressed by Mazlum Dogan.

He taught me to love my own people.

My allegiance to the party increased because of his hard work and effort.

Bring this faggot to me.

How dare you make a political defence in court?

Huh?

You faggot!

Get this faggot up!

Mofo!

Take his trousers off;

let’s see if he can make a political defence

again after we put this stick up his ass!

Esat!

You won't get away with this!

Esat! You scum!

Get this sissy out of my sight.

You queer!

You threw up, huh?

You don't throw up, fuck face!

When you feel like that, you fucking throw up on the inside

You son of a bitch, aren't you aware of the situation we are in here?

We're at war, you fucking pig, at war!

Your weakness becomes their strength.

If I see ever such weakness again from you,

I swear to God, I will stick it up your ass!

Got it?

Get this faggot up!

Sir...

I think he's dead.

He isn't.

He was discharged.

What happened to him?

He was discharged!

What?!

He was discharged!

What happened to him?

Discharged!

Stop it, you son of a bitch!

Bring me Sakine Cansiz.

So, you were sending a note to your friends, huh?

Who did you want to send it to, bitch? To Hayri?

So, if Hayri said ok, you'd go on hunger strike, eh bitch?

If you've got a rat here

why don't you find out for yourself, Esat Oktay?

You will never force anyone here to be a rat.

We'll find a way to reach our friends.

You can't stop us from going on an indefinite hunger strike.

They gave in.

All of your leaders kneeled down before me.

It's all over

It's over, Sakine Cansiz.

You reckon!

You can never make them kneel down.

Your leaders are reporting to my dog.

You'll see, bitches...

Fuck me if I don't bring you to heel!

I'll have you fucked by my dog in the end, you bitches

Take this bitch to her cell.

Move... move

Bro?

Why are you silent, bro?

Mazlum?

"To live is to resist."

Ward 33

What is it, comrade Cemal?

Did something bad happen in court?

Why don't you say anything?

Mazlum...

set himself on fire

on the eve of Newroz

...to protest betrayal

to protest torture...

Mazlum is dead.

Line up for the anthem!

Hurry up!

Sing the anthem "to alter history"

to alter history...

this is the sound of horseshoes

this is the sound of mares

to alter history...

this is the sound of horseshoes

this is the sound of mares

More lively!

This is the sound of the Huns

who stuck a spear into the heart of the Romans!

This is the sound of the Huns

who stuck a spear into the heart of the Romans!

Is shopping list ready, Necmi?

Yes, sir.

Give it to me.

Detergent, paint, paint thinner....?

Don't you know by now that these are banned?

We want to make a big portrait on the wall.

A portrait of whom?

Yavuz Sultan the Great.

I had already mentioned it to sergeant Mevlut, sir.

Warden!

Don't pour water;

fuel the fire!

This is a protest;

anyone who pours water is a traitor!

Brother,

open your eyes and say something.

Sing me that song.

Mazlum's act has become a light in this darkness for us

We must turn this act into an organized resistance

Kemal,

we must do something

I'm the commander of a defeated army.

From now on,

the one who resists is the commander...

is the party itself.

Whoever begins, I will be the second one

How can we stop this?

The tortures are unbearable.

People cannot take it anymore

the number of betrayals is increasing every day.

wWe must organize a powerful strike

It'll be over if we can't succeed this time;

we have no choice but succeed

Beginning the strike is not enough

It's of supreme importance to inform the families and the other wards about this strike

the group from Urfa has a lot of people.

It means there will be lots of inmates and families to visit;

We can announce the strike at their trial

I am Yildir?m Mergit,

member of the central executive committee.

I planned lots of attacks.

We laboured under the delusion of our dreams.

We thought we could build an army

and defeat the State.

We dragged lots of innocent people into this fantasy;

we robotized them.

I took refuge here because I repent my deeds.

They have been taking good care of us in jail.

Enough.

If you've got no more to say, you may be seated

I want to address all my friends.

They should repent also.

The state is forgiving.

Move, maggot! move

Sadik Ozturk of Adiyaman, at your service, sir!

Y?lmaz Celik of Silvan, Diyarbak?r, at your service, sir!

Firat Yigit of Diyarbakir, at your service, sir!

Keep barking, assholes!

Your Honour, you have been here for 2 years

Everyone has left, but not us

I don't know why the hell I've been here for two years

Have you got anything to say?

Your Honour, I plead not guilty and request the release of my client.

It was decided that the suspect should remain in custody

until an answer to the request for a confimation of identity

which was sent to the Siverek civil registry office on January 10 1980, is received.

The proceedings adjourned until July 14, 1982, at 9.00 AM.

Your Honour?

The session is adjourned, Hayri Durmus.

You'll speak tomorrow.

Karasu

They didn't let us speak again.

It is as though they sensed something.

Those maggots don't let us speak.

What do you have to say about this incident?

Hayri told us to kill the landlord,

and we did.

They said there would be no more landlords:

"You cultivate these lands,

They belong to you.

The harvest of wheat and hay will be yours".

They deceived us.

We are poor;

we don't understand these things.

We are loyal to our nation and state.

I have the right of reply; I want to speak

Sit down, Hayri Durmus. Why should I grant you right of reply?

You'll speak tomorrow if there's time.

Yesterday you said the same thing.

Not all the events in that file pertain to me,

But, there are actions that I planned, which are not mentioned in that file:

I want to talk about them.

Alright, come here

Keep it short.

I don't want any talk about matters outside the case.

People get murdered in Diyarbak?r prison.

People have been killed. Hundreds of people have been crippled;

many have gone crazy from torture.

You don't leave any options to those who want to protect their dignity

other than death and betrayal

Our struggle is just and right.

We are fighting for a free and equal life.

But, you are prosecuting us;

and you rob us of our right to defend ourselves.

We can't even maintain our dignity, let alone stand for our political identity!

In order to stand up for our dignity and our freedom

Mazlum Dogan,

Ferhat Kurtay,

Necmi ?nen,

Mahmut Zengin

and E?ref Anyik sacrificed themselves

This has nothing to do with the case, Hayri Durmus.

Speak relating to the case.

I am speaking about the cause of freedom!

I, as a freedom fighter for my people, am going on an indefinite

hunger strike, starting now, to protest your abusive actions.

I haven't fulfilled the promises that I made to my people,

and for this reason, I want them to write on my tombstone: “in debt to his people".

This will be my last trial.

Going to a trial means nothing to us

unless we can make a political defence.

Finally,

I want to say this:

Those who are determined to struggle for their people should take up arms,

because without armed resistance, it is impossible to defeat this colonist imperialism!

These proceedings are adjourned.

I, Kemal Pir, go on an indefinite hunger strike.

And so do I, Ali Cicek: our party taught us to resist, not to submit.

I, Ayhan Karan, go on strike also.

We did it!

We did it, comrades!

We did it with six people.

General from the coup government in Ankara

Listen, General Kemal,

this isn't how to do it.

The military has taken power in the whole country.

and you can't control a prison?

After all, the organization has collapsed.

Almost all their leaders are prisoners;

The rest fled abroad.

We sent them here so you can bury this Kurdish uprising.

This prison was built for that purpose,

but still you're giving them a chance to resurrect by letting them go on this hunger strike!

Do what must be done, general Kemal.

I don't need to teach you how to be a soldier.

If the current tactics don't work,

simply change them.

Ward 36

Urfa prison was my second escape.

Our friends outside, and those of us inside made a plan.

We made a plan with two patriots.

We dismantled a wall with 9 patriots; only the plaster of the wall remained.

Ali made the biggest contribution to this plan.

He made the plans and preparations on the outside-

Ali, why don't you tell them?

While I was waiting in the car near the mosque

I was nervous as hell.

Suddenly, I saw Kemal coming with a pistol in his hand,

and nine men behind him!

We were expecting just Kemal

but he brought nine men with him.

He left almost no prisoners inside.

I was always wondering

How in the world Kemal managed to escape every time he got caught

If you have an enemy that doesn't know you and doesn't know what

you are fighting for, escaping from prison is a piece of cake.

But now, the enemy knows you well, Kemal.

They have studied you fully:

I suspect that this time, escaping will be a little harder for you.

One can always find a way, Doc.

They, too, will witness our escape.

This time we've got a different kind of escape plan.

Well, well... Karasu is here.

Welcome, Karasu.

Thank you, comrades.

They've brought me here just for today.

How is it in ward 35?

As a matter of fact, everyone's changing gears.

The administration has loosened the rules.

The captives don't follow the rules like before.

Your man, Esat, isn't around anymore, Kemal.

Haven't seen hide or hair of him lately.

Anyone want to join the strike?

Have you called for a strike?

Calling for a strike is not the point,

it should be voluntary.

And we have no choice but to win.

We made it clear that we don't want treatment, doctor.

What do you want?

I see that you are quite happy, Kemal.

You don't look like you've been on a hunger strike for 30 days

We know you eat in secret.

That's a cheap trick, doc.

Don't humiliate yourself.

Today's newspapers say you're eating,

and the folks in the other wards have no faith in you anymore.

They say he will stop it as he did before.

We'll see what people will believe in.

Just asking out of curiosity:

Why do you long for death?

I think life is good,

it has lots of good sides.

There's still a lot to experience.

For instance,

have you ever held a woman's hand before?

or had a lot of money?

Huh?

Have you ever feasted without worrying about the bill?

You'll die in this shithole without knowing what these things are like.

Listen to me now, Doctor.

We don't yearn for death.

In fact, we love life so much that we can sacrifice our lives for it.

What is important for us isn't how long we've lived,

but how we've lived

We went on an indefinite hunger strike for the sake of a better, more honourable life.

Fuck a decent life if I'm not alive!

Fuck honour!

So I'll die and life will be good, eh?

For who?

for what?

What makes life meaningful is determined by your standpoint.

What really want to know is this:

How can you go home after you leave this torture house?

How can you love your child?

How can you touch your wife?

Write this down:

After examination,

I have concluded that the prisoner is healthy

and presents no signs of hunger-related sickness.

Doc?

Have I ever told you about my mother's Laz pastry?

Yes, Kemal.

at least 50 times!

Well, its taste is beyond imagining.

Believe me...

after school

you could smell my mom's pastry

before you even reached the village.

What upsets me the most is that

you haven't eaten it at all.

We're going to fail because of your mom's pastry, not because of the enemy,

you're making it sound so delicious!

We'll all call off the strike if you continue

I think I can smell it now.

Sir, look what I've found.

The prisoner's been eating:

There is no doubt that they're eating.

Supposedly they haven't eaten anything in 30 days,

but they look fit as a fiddle

You're lying, you son of a bitch!

What kind of a person are you?

Akif,

take it easy,

don't tire yourself

Comrade!

Who is it?

Ayhan?

Is that you?

Ayhan, is that you?

I am Ayhan Kara.

I was sitting next to Kemal Pir in the courtroom

when Mehmet Hayri Durmus began the hunger strike.

He forced me into going on the hunger strike

In fact, I had no intention of joining.

I announced that I would go on strike

because I feared that something bad might happen to me

Since they took us to ward 36,

everyone's been eating bread and meals in secret;

They tell the wardens that the mice have eaten everything.

I almost died on my 40th day

But they were chatting

and looked very energetic.

They deceived us.

They sent us to our deaths

so that they could play heroes

The folks on hunger strikes aren't allowed to do anything

They tried the same thing before,

and what happened then?

We didn't take the bait;

we found out that they'd been eating,

so they were forced to call off the strike.

The State is powerful

and it never compromises

They keep eating in secret,

but yet they send the poor prisoners to death.

No one should be an instrument at the hands of these scum.

Ali

Listen, Akif

I checked your file.

You were a teacher.

We are all raised by teachers.

You know better than the others that this isn't the way to do things.

I talked to Hayri Durmus and Ali Cicek a while ago

They said they'd think about my offer.

Tell this crap to your soldiers, not to me

We are a grass-roots movement.

Our people can tell the difference between right and wrong better than a teacher.

So, you're Kemal the Laz.

The Laz are trustworthy people;

they're loyal to their country.

What kind of a Laz are you?

You went to Palestine and got military training;

your plan was to establish armed groups in the mountains of Turkey

and lead them

to fight our armies.

Well...

look where you've ended up

Are you a commander?

Are you their commander?

You think you can make the State bow down before a handful of bandits?

We have driven a stake into the heart of this state.

Pull it out if you can.

Bring your armies and fight us.

Let’s see what you can do against the glorious Turkish army!

You'll confront our army when the time comes.

Get him out of my sight!

Comrades, we are here

Muslum and Semsettin

Welcome, comrades.

Comrades, your resistance is creating hope.

That's it, comrades. We're growing in number.

It was a bit hard to join the strike at first.

After we decided to join, we wanted to announce it in court.

But they never took us to court.

After Ayhan Karan's speech,

we announced it without going to court.

What can they do against a human being who is determined to die for freedom;

what can they do?

Yesterday, we were six;

today we are ten;

tomorrow

we'll be millions.

Water...

water.......

Fesih,

give me a rope,

I will send you some water

... don't you hear me?

Give me a rope so I can send you some water

Fesih?

Even if you could manage, you will be all alone:

in the land of the Vikings they will tear you apart.

I told you I'm a Turk.

How do you like the sun, Ursula?

Whoa, what a woman!

I can't hear you!

Don't worry,

your scream will reach up to Odin

when the monster comes for you!

Don't move, scum!

Don't move,

son of a bitch!

Don't move, asshole!

Son of a bitch,

I'll grant your wish right away

Here, drink this.

Water!

Who's that?

It is me, Kemal. I'm Rahmi.

I came with Cahit and Halil the communist.

They have been torturing us for two days

in the movie theatre

to make us call off the strike.

Comrade Rahmi, you got any water?

Comrade Fesih is not well at all.

Comrade Fesih...

I'm sending you some water.

Today...

there will be an open visit for the first time in our prison.

Appreciate it.

Speaking Kurdish is forbidden

Dad, why don't you talk to me?

I've been coming to visit you for weeks, but you just sit there and don't say a word.

Hellhounds...

Pray, my son, pray.

You come to my grave,

but you leave without offering a prayer.

What grave? For God's sake, dad, what are you talking about?

Pray, my son, pray.

Only with the help of your prayers can I finish ny sentence here,

and only then can I go to heaven.

Dad, have you gone crazy? What the hell are you talking about?

I talked to the lawyer. You'll be released at the first trial,

you're innocent.

Dad...

Dad!

Dad, don't be silent!

Dear dad, say something!

Get up, asshole.

Dad, speak, say something!

Sir, this guy is dead.

Dad... say something!

Kemal?

Have you gone blind?

Huh?

Why are you hiding it?

You've gone blind.

So what? What's it to you?

Listen, it's not too late;

we can save you if you call off this strike

You want a Kemal with eyes who's not "Kemal".

I don't want to be that Kemal.

As you wish

I've done everything I can for you.

Kemal,

what happened to your eyes?

My eyes can't see anymore, Ali.

Glory to God!

Long live our nation!

Damn the communists and the separatists!

Bon appétit!

Thank you.

Cut!

Dear God almighty...

Look, commander,

The prisoners are wolfing down the food as if there's a famine!

It gives the impression they don't get enough food here;

which isn't the message we want to convey.

You're the director,

it's your job to arrange this.

Well, ok. But...

some of them are skin and bones.

I told the sergeant about it

I need some fleshy, fat...

healthy-looking prisoners.

Or else some fat, healthy soldiers can wear the clothes, and we swap them with these guys, OK?

Hey kid, have some soldiers wear the clothes and bring them here.

And give them some food so they don't wolf down the food during the act.

Hurry up!

Yes, sir.

You can take this fellow away .

Let me look at you-

Take him away too.

Come on, move, get lost!

That fellow... you can take him away, too.

Get lost.

He's a bit thin.

Let’s see...

take this one away, too.

Get out.

Take him away.

OK, now. While they are getting ready

we'll take a close-up

You eat some now.

Get closer.

Alright... ready?

Alright then. We begin.

Lights....

Action....

Cut!

I've never seen eating like that,

you're all sulking;

you can't be eating food with that degree of sadness.

Smile, you scum!

I'll screw your mothers if you sulk;

smile!

My friends...

This is a family table,

You're having a meal in joy; you're getting full.

Think about all the hungry people in the world.

Look, how this guy's smiling;

is he one of us?

Yeah.

You look at these...

It's a cosy table and you're eating and chatting.

Cheer up.

Just eat and have fun.

There is famine in some parts of the world, right?

Just smile, yes... enjoy the meal;

think about nice things.

Well done!

When I say "action",

be just like that.

Action!

You son of a bitch!

How many times did I tell you not to give chickem meat to the dog?!

Fuck off, now!

Esat Oktay!

I've brought you greetings from Kemal the Laz in Diyarbakir prison.

Comrades,

They're taking me....

Hayri!

Cell in the Diyarbakir Military Hospital

Hayri.

Where is Kemal?

Kemal...

was martyred.

After...

I die,

if the administration compromises,

call off

the strike.

Take care of the comrades.

We've defeated betrayal;

this time

we'll be victorious.

Hayri?

It's me, Akif,

Karasu.

Where are Hayri and Kemal?

Kemal...

was martyred

They...

took Hayri today.

What time is it?

I...

can't see.

Give this to my cousin.

Water.....

Water.....

Soldier!

What the fuck you want?

Get us some water.

Son of a bitch!

What is it, Akif?

They've put compote in it again

Emergency Ward Diyarbakir Military Hospital

Karasu?

Akif?

How are you?

Now, this...

what do you call it?

this indefinite hunger strike?

If you call it off,

the conditions in the prison will be improved.

This is a direct order from the Army Corps.

There's just one condition,

that you call off this so-called hunger strike

The conditions here will be improved.

There won't be any more...

hmm... what do you call it?

"ill-treatments"

I will deal with this matter personally-

me.

I, major Birol,

give you my word.

once you call off this strike

you can get whatever you wish.

We...

have learnt

not to trust you.

We won't call it off;

there's no need for more talk.

Listen,

The Corps Commandership is dealing with this situation personally;

we don't want any more deaths.

You've tortured

many of our friends

to death.

What bothers you

isn't the deaths of people;

it's our determination and our will

that have frightened you.

Akif?

Do you remember...

Akif?

Akif is fucking dead.

Who's that there?

Ali Cicek

Stop it.

What are you doing?

We refuse medical treatment.

This guy is already dead;

serum won't do any good.

Ali?

Ali?

Ali?

Come on, wake up!

We'll escape just like we did from the Urfa closed prison

No one can keep us captive;

no one can take our freedom from us.

Come on, get up! We're leaving.

Ali?

Brother!

They said you were dead.

Karasu?

Look, we've brought your family.

You call off this strike already

Four of you have died. It's enough.

We won't call it off

until our demands are met.

Look, Pop: Karasu isn't well at all.

We can't treat him if he loses consciousness.

Isn't it clear which side is unconscious?

They're gonna die,

and nobody will give a damn.

Doctor...

some people live to kill,

and there are some who sacrifice themselves for others

Karasu?

This is a formal visit.

with the approval of the army corps.

The army corps Chief of Staff is here too.

You can make your defence in court without any interference;

you can submit a written defence

And conditions of the prison will be bettered.

There won't be any more ill-treatments;

There will be enough food for everyone,

and you will have lawyer and family visits on regular basis.

Also,

Homeland security officer Esat Oktay Yildiran got dismissed

from the prison by the army corps.

What is your decision?

I've talked with my friends:

You didn't keep your promise

after the strike of September 1981.

We've got our concerns.

If you don't keep

your promises

we'll go on...

an indefinite hunger strike

again.

You will be solely responsible for this

as a negotiator.

We accept the agreement:

we call off

the hunger strike.

One more thing:

we want to see

our friends

who passed away

It is not possible because of security concerns,

and your condition isn't good enough for that.

But we can arrange this:

we can take you to a room while the bodies are getting carried out,

and you can watch them through the window of your room.

How happy is the one who says I am a Turk

To live is to resist!

To live is to resist!

To live is to resist!

Kemal,

my son,

you were too big to fit in that tiny coffin

In fact, my son, Kemal

needs to be buried here...

in this land.

His true land was here:

my son loved this land;

he fought for it.

And he died in there.

But his mother said to me

"bring my Kemal back. I want to hug and smell him

one last time"

"To live is to resist"

In Diyarbakir military prison No. 5, more than ten thousand people were taken into custody between 1980 and 1990.

They were exposed to 80 different types of torture.

Eighty-two of them died. Hundreds of them were severely injured.

As determined by the UN Committee against torture; physical, psychological, psychiatric, pharmacological and pornographic tortures were carried out.

Prisoners were forced to memorize and sing about 60 racist anthems every day.

Speaking languages (Kurdish, Arabic, Syrian, or Armenian) besides Turkish was forbidden.

Kemal Pir passed away on the 56th day of the hunger strike (September 7, 1982).

Mehmet Hayri Durmus passed away on the 61st day of the hunger strike (September 12, 1982).

Akif Yilmaz passed away on the 64th day of the hunger strike (September 15, 1982).

Ali Cicek passed away on the 66th day of the hunger strike (September 17, 1982).

Mazlum Dogan sacrificed himself on the eve of Newroz, March 21, 1982, to protest torture and betrayal.

The Four: inspired by Mazlum Dogan's action, they set their bodies on fire to protest torture and betrayal on May 18, 1982.

Sakine Cansiz was murdered in Paris on January 9, 2013.

Mustafa Karasu continues his struggle for the freedom of his people in the mountains of Kurdistan.