Families of prisoners alleged that pressure on prisoners have been carrying out by Gemlik Open Prison about dress and beard, they claimed that all kind of dress is permissive but wearing shalwar (baggy trousers) and grow beard is forbidden.

Families of prisoners reacted to the application which they claim that all kind of dress can be wore but wearing shalwar is forbidden, there are many kind of hats can be wore but wearing Muslim taqiyah (cap) is forbidden to be wore.

Murat Sarman who is a prisoner in Gemlik Open Prison, his brother Ferhat Sarman had a statement about the issue and said that prison administration makes trouble and try to prevent for his brother’s shalwar which he wants to wear daily.

Minute was taken for my brother due to growing his beard

“Prison administrator took minutes about my brother because of wearing shalwar and growing his beard” said Fethat Sarman and stated that prison administrator even interposed his brother’s beard. “And my brother even doesn’t want us to go visit him because of feeling uncomfortable about the issue.”

Sarman uttered that he negotiated with other prisoners’ families and all were complain about the attitude of the prison administrator.

There is no any forbidden for other prisoners to wear jeans, or grow different kind of beard but forbidden only for Islamic dress and beard said Fethat Sarman.

I ask authorities to step in the issue

Sarman uttered his uncomfortable about the issue, made a call firstly to Prime Ministry then Ministry of Justice and Interior Ministry to step in the issue and remove this unfairness.

“While they don’t care about dress of other people, why our dress and beard because of our belief annoying some people? Asked Sarman and said “Apart from everything, this is a purpose of someone who has different political thoughts and ideological approach to satisfy his ego.”    

It is forbidden to grow beard, wearing shalwar and taqiyah

According to Celal Adanur, it is definitely forbidden to grow beards, wearing shalwar and taqiyah in the prison, relayed from his brother Bilal Adanur who is a prisoner in Gemlik Open Prison.

They have been threatened to be sent closed prison if they don’t obey the rule

Adanur stated that the prison administration threatened prisons to send closed prisons in case of not obeying the rule.

“Head guard of the prison said my brother ‘If the warden see you like this then we will send you to closed prison.’ And my brother said that there is no inhibition for wearing jeans or tight clothes or hat but there is inhibition only for those who wears large dress or grow beard, and they threatened us to send closed prison if we don’t obey the rule.”

They even take visitors’ taqiyah off

Adanur stated that his taqiyah was taken by prison administration while they went to visit his brother, said that they cannot stand even with the dress of visitors, not only prisons’.

Warden: It will be corrected if there is something like that

Warden of Gemlik Open Prison Hasan Torun spoke to ILKHA on the claimed issue. He said that this not a private application, there are some applications for dress. Torun remarked that there are those kind of application in the food production department for hygiene, said that he will again talk about this issue in the meeting and if there is an application like that then it will be corrected.

ILKHA