Cancer Patient Inmate to Return to Prison

The treatment extension request of Taylan Çintay, a bladder cancer patient inmate released for his treatment in July 2013, has been declined by the Forensics Institute. His extension is valid until October 4. 

Sentenced to life for being a PKK member and served in prison for 15 years, Taylan Çintay had several surgeries related to his medical situation. 

On July 5, 2013, he was released after a forensics report saying that “his prison terms is inappropriate to his treatment”. 

Upon the rejection of request, an arrest warrant will be issued for Çintay by October 4. 

“This is a sort of challenge,” Çintay told Etkin News Agency (ETHA).  

Reminding PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s appeal for the release of sick inmates across Turkey’s prisons, he said that no serious steps were taken - which demonstrated the government’s lack of willingness for the resolution of the issue. 

Deputy Zozanî: Not judicial 

Reponsing to bianet’s inquiries, People’s Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Adil Zozanî said the following: “The Turkish state knows that we have done wrong to release few sick prisoners, we are returning from our mistake”.

Emphasizing on the Constitution Article 90, he went on to say that Turkey didn’t follow international treaties regarding the sick prisoners which required “full recovery”. 

“Turkey has made its own criterion of ‘not being self-sufficent in prison’ for releasing an inmate. This is the last stage of the disease which means death for cancer patients,” he said. 

Who is Taylan Çintay?

Born in Gölpınar village, Malatya province, Çintay joined PKK before turning 20. He was arrested at the age of 21 and sentenced to life. He was diagnosed with cancer during his prison term. 

Now 37, he is the author of “Kozmik Tasarımından İktidar Yaratımına İnanç İktidarı” (The Rule of Belief, From Cosmic Design to Creation of Power). (BA/HK/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.