Tonguç Ok is 40 years old; he has been in prison for 17 years; he’s convicted with “aggravated” life sentence. In his one-person cell that has transformed into his study, he translated 14 books from English into Kurdish and Turkish, and he also writes stories in Kurdish magazine Tiroj.
These undertakings brought Ok the Publishers Union of Turkey (TYB) 2014 Freedom of Thought and Expression Special Award as “translator.”
“I found out that you were giving me the Freedom of Thought and Expression Special Award for my contributions to Turkey’s publishing with the works I produced in prison and that I had been considered worthy of this from my lawyer Ziya Çelik. It is undoubtedly a source of pride to be given such an award. I thank you once again for this meaningful award and your thoughtfulness.’’
Sibel Ok excitedly voiced this thank you message and received the award on behalf of her spouse.
Not a “thought criminal”
Tonguç Ok writes in his thank you message, “I am not a ‘thought criminal’ in the common sense of the word,” and tells the audience he is behind bars for “attempting to alter the constitutional order by force.”
“The strange thing is, Kenan Evren and his friends who dictated said Constitution are, as you know, also currently on trial for the same reason. Perhaps we could revel at this situation if we were living in another country...”
Ok was a junior in Marmara University English Language and Literature department when he was arrested. Throughout his incarceration, he developed his English, learning Italian, Spanish and Kurdish in prison.
Ok has been living in a cell for 17 years and can only see his first-degree relatives.
“In prison or outside, you need moral support”
"If we don’t count the student magazines we published in high school and university years, my life of writing, or rather of translating began in prison.
“I did not encounter particular obstructions aside standard prison conditions. There were times we were not able to receive foreign language publications, but thanks to institutions, primarily the Human Rights Foundation (İHD), the Writers’ Syndicate of Turkey (TYS), and Translators’ Association and the support of newspapers and journalists and the democratic public, we overcame these troubles. Nowadays I cannot say I encounter specific obstacles.
“In prison or outside, whatever your profession, you need to have moral support, a moral power besides all the faculties required by that job. I would like to say a special thank you to the June demonstrators who gave us this power and respectfully commemorate all those beautiful people we lost from Ali İsmail Korkmaz to Berkin Elvan. They taught us that we don’t have the right to sink into pessimism.”
The language right beside him
Ok recounts how he learned Kurdish in his interview with Radikal newspaper on June 20, 2011 as follows:
"It was 2006 if I’m not mistaken; we were under arrest and staying in three-person cells. In the cell next to us there were people convicted from the PKK case. We would chat during evening walks, hoisting our voices over the ventilation wall.
“One day we were talking about language; one of our neighbors, dear Nedim (Yılmaz), asked me half jokingly and half reproachfully, 'Ya heval [friend, comrade] Tonguç, you’ve learned English, Italian, Spanish, don’t you ever wonder about your Kurdish brothers’ language?' I didn’t have anything to say. I could only tell Nedim heval, 'Well, it’s not like you sent me a book and I didn’t learn it.'”
Lengthy judgment and lack of fair trial to ECHR
Prosecution filed a case against Tonguç Ok and 44 defendants, “members of the Devrimci Yol [Revolutionary Path] organization,” on February 12, 1996 on charge of “attempting to alter the constitutional order by force,” stated in the former Criminal Code of Turkey’s Article 146/1.
Ok was seized on January 22, 1997. Istanbul 9th High Criminal Court sentenced him to aggravated life on May 30, 2008.
The file was sent to the Supreme Court of Appeals’ Chief Public Prosecution on September 24, 2008. The Supreme Court of Appeals 9th Penal Chamber decision was approved March 11, 2009.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) process that began with objections regarding lengthy imprisonment, lengthy judgment and lack of fair trial is ongoing.
Ok’s lawyer: “Inhumane prosecution”
Ok's lawyer Ziya Çelik told bianet:
"When the local court gave this verdict, they were talking about a legal regulation that would drop the maximum period of imprisonment to 10 years. They hastily gave out verdicts and against dissenters like Tonguç Ok in this period and approved their cases. But by not approving files of organizations like the Hezbollah, the judiciary enabled them to take advantage of this regulation.
"When the local court gave its verdict on Tonguç Ok, the execution period of those sentenced to aggravated life incarceration was 32 years. But as a result of debates that began with Abdullah Öcalan being brought to Turkey, conducting a special predication, the period was changed to lifelong incarceration.
"So in this case while someone who killed thousands of people is imprisoned for 32 years when he gets an aggravated life sentence, those who received the same sentence from the Law on Fight against Terrorism are imprisoned for life. This is an inhumane prosecution and the European Court of Human Rights also asserts that this penalty is execution."
“A free country where such awards are redundant''
Ok concludes the message he sent to the TYB award ceremony with thanks, just as he started it: "I would like to thank my wonderful mother, my beloved sister Ayfer and my dearest wife Sibel, who will be receiving this award on my behalf if all goes well, who have never left me, left us alone in these past 17 years, and to individually thank all the employees of my publisher Evrensel Printing and Publishing.''
And a wish: “I communicate the love and greetings of all my friends inside [prison], wishing us all a free country where such awards are redundant.'' (EA/PU/BM)
* Ok's translations: Tarihte Bilim, J.D. Bernal, 2 Cilt (English to Turkish), Pozitivizme ve Pragmatizme Karşı Felsefeyi Savunmak, Maurice Cornforth (English to Turkish), Marksizm ve Bilim, J.D. Bernal (English to Turkish), Müzik Üzerine Tartışmalar (English to Turkish), Keynes'e Karşı Marx, John Eaton (English to Turkish), Manîfestoya Partiya Komunîst (Kurdish Manifesto) (English to Kurdish), Bilimin Toplumsal İşlevi, J.D. Bernal (English to Turkish), Marksîzm Û Pirsgirêkên Zimanzaniyê, J.V. Stalin (English to Kurdish), Ülkem Toprağım ve Halkım, Pablo Miranda (Spanish to Turkish), Alman İdeolojisi (English to Turkish), Ne Yapmalı? Divê Çi Bê Kirin? V.İ.Lenin (English to Kurdish), Marksist Öğreti, V.İ.Lenin (English to Turkish), Marksîzm Û Pirsgirêka Netawayî (Marksizm ve Ulusal Sorun) (English to Kurdish), Devlet ve Devrim (English to Turkish). (EA/PU/BM)
* Click here to read the article in Turkish.
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