After her arrest, the famous Turkish novelist Ashley Erdogan claimed that her treatment in prison was causing her "permanent damage."

Ashley is a famous Turkish writer. According to a statement from French publisher Actes Sud, Ashley was arrested at her home on the evening of August 16. She is a columnist for Türkiye's Free Agenda newspaper and a member of its pro-Kurdish advisory board. After the failed coup on July 15, the newspaper was forced to close due to tensions. More than 20 journalists and employees of the newspaper were arrested at the same time as Ashley. She was subsequently charged with "joining a terrorist organization" and "undermining national unity."

Ashley Erdogan was once named one of the "50 most promising writers of the future" by the French literary magazine "Lire". Ashley recently told Turkey’s Hürriyet through her lawyer Nesrullah Oğuz that she was undergoing “some kind of treatment that may cause permanent damage to my body” in prison. She said the bed she slept in had been peeed on and that she was unable to get the medication she needed.

“I have some problems with my pancreas and digestive system, but they haven’t given me medicine for five days. I have diabetes and my nutrition needs special treatment, but in prison I only had yogurt,” she said. “And, even though I have asthma and COPD, I haven't been able to get a breath of fresh outside air [since incarceration]. ”

Her detention sparked a wave of calls for her release. Novelist, translator, and chairperson of English PEN, Maureen Freely said, "From this arrest of Turkey's most famous and world-renowned writer, we can see that in Turkey under President Erdogan, no poet, novelist, or dramatist is safe." PEN calls for the immediate release of all those arrested after the raid on the "Freedom Agenda" newspaper, because the charges against them were "simply because they mildly exercised their right to freedom of expression."

A petition calling for Ashley's release has been signed by approximately 25,000 people. The petition points to the fact that Ashley is "one of the world's most famous novelists" and says that "her only desire is to make her country a more democratic and civilized society" and to this end she has "created many works in pursuit of this desire and promoted Turkish literature around the world."

PEN International expressed "high concern" about Ashley's health and believed that the conditions in which Ashley was detained were "completely unacceptable." PEN International called on the Turkish authorities to "immediately improve Ashley's living conditions, provide her with medicines, and assign medical staff. This step is crucial."

Sahar Halaimzai, event manager of PEN International, said: "The unprecedented decline of freedom of speech in Turkey is obvious to all and is rare in modern Turkish history." Even using the name of a coup does not legitimize the suppression of criticism and opposition. Ashley Erdogan is one of the journalists currently behind bars, facing dire living conditions and an unknown fate. We strongly urge the Turkish government to stop the persecution of freedom of expression and human rights and abide by its obligations under international law during this extraordinary period. ”

Ashley told the Free Press she felt the show of solidarity for her. “I can feel that greater efforts are on the way. I could feel the sincerity and kindness coming from the messages I received. This may sound futile, but I really want to express my gratitude to you," she said.

Ashley was arrested after the Turkish government shut down 29 publishing houses under emergency-era laws. The move was condemned by publishers from around the world. PEN International Publishing said, "While acknowledging the responsibility of the Turkish authorities to investigate and prosecute the coup d'etat, we call on the Turkish authorities not to use the state of emergency to suppress the legal right to freedom of expression and to ensure that writers and publishers can freely carry out their activities." ”

(Translation: Ma Yuanxi)