The administration of Diyarbakır No. 1 High-Security Prison seized an oil painting depicting the love story of Mem and Zin by inmate Mazlum Dağtekin on May 3, citing “organization propaganda.” Dağtekin’s lawyer, Mehdi Özdemir, has appealed the decision to the Constitutional Court.
The prison administration’s decision was based on the use of yellow, red, and green colors in the painting, claiming it closely resembled the flag of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party). Dağtekin’s appeal against the seizure was rejected by the administration.
Mazlum Dağtekin, an inmate at the Diyarbakır No. 1 High-Security Prison, painted an oil painting of Mem and Zin, a 17th-century love story by Kurdish poet Ehmedê Xanî. The painting was intended as a gift for his visiting parents. However, the prison administration confiscated it, citing the use of colors associated with the PKK.
Confiscation due to colors
Dağtekin's request for the painting to be given to his family was denied by the Prison Administration and Observation Board. The Board justified its decision by stating, "Although the inmate claims to have depicted the legend of Mem and Zin, the painting uses the colors red, yellow, and green, which are symbols of the PKK, and shows individuals holding hands, resembling the PKK flag."
Defense of the painting’s intention
Dağtekin appealed to the Diyarbakır 1st Execution Court to overturn the administration’s decision and release the painting to his family. In his appeal, he explained that he created the painting using materials provided by the prison and that it represents the well-known love story of Mem and Zin. He described the painting as a depiction of love and longing, relating it to his own parents' love story, who faced opposition due to feudal customs.
In his statement, Dağtekin emphasized, “This painting portrays the love and the longing of two people who are madly in love but unable to unite. My father also fell in love with my mother, but her family opposed their marriage due to feudal customs. My father then eloped with my mother. My parents are now elderly and ill. I wanted to give them this painting of Mem and Zin’s story to lift their spirits.”
He detailed the painting’s colors, noting, “The small painting uses a background of red and green, with cream, brown, white, and black in the center. These colors symbolize Mem and Zin.”
Critique of the administration’s decision
Dağtekin criticized the administration’s reasoning, calling it absurd, “The colors mentioned by the administration are found in traffic lights, signs, and symbols of many organizations. Colors are a natural art form provided by nature, representing no particular group, state, or race. Focusing on these colors and drawing such conclusions reflects the mindset of the September 12 fascist junta regime. My painting does not symbolize any organization. If it did, I would still defend it. However, that is not the case.”
Judicial rejections and constitutional appeal
The Diyarbakır 1st Execution Court rejected Dağtekin’s appeal, citing no procedural or legal violations. Dağtekin then appealed to a higher court, the Diyarbakır 1st High Criminal Court, which also rejected the appeal, finding no fault in the execution court’s decision.
Dağtekin’s lawyer, Mehdi Özdemir, has now taken the case to the Constitutional Court, arguing that the seizure violated Dağtekin’s right to artistic expression.
