The last letter was written by Halime Gülsu, who was imprisoned on the grounds that her relatives were detained or providing help to the families who were victims of the Decree-Law (KHK).
“My illness (systemic LUPUS) is extremely lethal. My medications are not given to me. The guards think that I’m lying and reprehend me.”
She was transferred to the hospital from prison one day after sending this letter to the office of Prime Ministry.
But it was too late for Halime Gulsu.
BOLD – Halime Gülsu and a group of female friends were detained on February 20, 2018, when they were making stuffed meatballs. The families whose family members had been arrested due to decree-law and who had difficulty in making a living and forced to sell meat and kebab were disqualified as aiding and abetting the terrorist organization.
The detainees were tortured in Mersin Police Department and continued with their ill-treatment. However, Halime Gülsu, who was seriously ill and should not have disrupted her medication, was dragged to death bluntly.
Gülsu, who was not given medication despite medical reports and was not referred to a hospital, died on 28 April 2018 in prison.
4 days before her death, Halime Gülsu sent a letter to Prime Ministry Communication Center (BIMER). This letter was published by People’s Democratic Party’s (HDP) Kocaeli Deputy Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu.
THE LAST LETTER OF HALİME GÜLSU
To Prime Ministry Communication Center (BIMER),
On February 2, 2018, I was taken into custody by the police members from Mersin police department. Later, I found out that they were actually working for the anti-terror department. When they came to my place they were acting so hurriedly so that I was hardly able to take my medication which was prescribed for systemic LUPUS diagnosis.
I could not give information to my family that my medications were about to finish. I couldn’t even take my main medicine. Systemic LUPUS disease; the immune system attacks the body as a foreign substance by not recognizing its body tissues.
My body is over-killing itself with the defense system by producing antibodies (white cells). While this situation causes a rapid decrease in blood level, joint pain, fatigue, weakness, and causes undesirable pains that one cannot maintain in a minimum life level.
When the drug treatment is started after diagnosis, it should be used regularly and weekly. Again, the disease is constantly under the control of the doctor, and the values of the drug active substances and dosages in exchange for the changes are required.
The disease should be monitored and treated only by physicians of the rheumatology. In addition, because the body’s antibody (white-sphere) production is suppressed by drugs during the treatment phase, the body is truly endangered against real microbes and viruses in the outside world. It must be kept sterile and under constant control. The treatment stage of the disease requires a serious procedure and process.
I’ve been with Systemic LUPUS for 15 years. At the end of long procedure and process, my illness was suppressed and became passive. However, my medication was continuing. From the day I was taken into custody, I was not able to continue with the medications I used daily. I could not use the medication, which is the main drug of the treatment, because my family was not given any information about my whereabouts by the police officers.
I’ve signed a paper that says the police have informed my family. However, after I was arrested and sent to prison, during my meeting with my brother, he said that they never called or informed by that period and that they had no knowledge of my medication.
A week after I was in custody, I was not able to get the medication that was on a daily basis because I was not allowed to make a written request. I could not get two doses of two weeks of my medication in custody.
According to the prison rules, in order to be taken to the infirmary, one must file a written request which I did several times with an emergency note on it. But, none of my requests were answered and I was never taken to the infirmary. A month after my detention, I was taken to the internal medicine department of Tarsus States Hospital. I told everything about my illness to the doctor.
I asked him to do all the tests. However, I found out that tests on; hemogram, liver enzyme, TSH, and ferritin values were only checked but, the main tests that should have been checked such as anti-DSDNA, C3, C4, and ANA were disregarded and ignored.
Due to the absence of the examination of actual disease test results, the internal medicine physician told the prison stuff that I was healthy. Therefore, the prison infirmary officer told me in a wryly way that I have nothing serious. So, I wrote a petition to consult the chief officer.
The chief officer in charge took care of me and told the infirmary officer to be referred to the Rheumatology Department. After my closed meeting with my brother, I asked him to bring my medications and report from the health board. My brother was able to reach me after a week. For two months in total, I couldn’t use my medication.
Meanwhile, my disease has relapsed again. My weakness, fatigue, and joint pain started again. I also have nausea. I wrote a petition to the infirmary and the infirmary was sent back to the internal service. There was no Romotology service at Tarsus State Hospital, so I was taken to the internal Service again.
When I told my doctor about my condition, he said that my disease could recur again, and he referred to the Romotology service at the City Hospital. It’s already 23rd of April and I am still waiting to be taken to this Romotology service.
Despite my use of drugs, somehow I feel unwell. Since it is already a difficult disease in terms of the procedure and the process, the healing process does not start with the use of medication like any disease. For this reason, I told the prison staff that my blood values should be checked as soon as possible.
On April 20, an ambulance came from the 112 emergency department. Even though I explained my situation and illness to ambulance staff, they only measured my blood pressure and pulse and sent me back to my ward by saying; “hopefully, nothing will happen.” Since my disease does not show a physical effect, wardens in prison think that I am lying and they reprimand me.
My illness is a very serious and fatal disease, since the day I was detained till the day I wrote this petition. I am asking you to take the necessary actions against the officials who malfeasance and ignore their responsibility in the Mersin security directorate (anti-terror department), Tarsus Women Closed Prison and Tarsus state hospital.
It is my constitutional right to be given about the legal procedures, the number of documents related to these petitions and the date of the transaction by the officers of the Enforcement Office of the Directorate General of Tarsus Women closed prison. And, I am obliged to know that my legal rights are reserved if the information is not provided.
24.04.2018
Halime Gulsu
Women Closed Department of Corrections A-7 Tarsus