(HaberTürk Newspaper, 6 March 2016)
Dauntless Vegan Hero: hunger strikes during prison odyssey.
Osman Evcan was sentenced to life in prison in 1992 for being
a member of an 'illegal organization'. Evcan, a vegetarian,
complained in 2011 that he wasn't getting enough vegetarian
food in jail, an F-type prison in Kırıkkale, so he went on a 43-
day hunger strike. This prompted a "vegetarian food for Osman"
campaign on the internet, which turned into a global movement
and reached to the halls of the Turkish Parliament.
As a result, on 28 March 2012 the Justice Ministry changed the
prison food regulations and gave inmate vegetarians their menu
rights. However, Evcan demanded that his meals be prepared
with fresh and seasonal vegetables and he went on another 33-day
hunger strike in April 2014.
On 10 November 2015, Evcan was transferred to the Kocaeli
No. 1 F-type prison, where he claimed his vegetarian rights
were being infringed upon. This time, his demands were met
on the 40th day of his hunger strike. But when he was sent
to the Silivri No. 6 L-type prison he experienced similar problems
and made an appeal to the Constitutional Court.
(Incredibly!) the Constitutional Court agreed, in part, to Evcan's
plea and ordered that the government pay him 3,000 TL in
compensation. The order was sent to the Justice Ministry and
the Silivri public prosecutor for implementation.
Scene of fine vegetarian dining henceforth.
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