On the 64th day of the hunger strike carried out by political prisoners demanding freedom for Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and a democratic solution to the Kurdish question, Dicle Müftüoğlu, co-chair of Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), announced her participation in the hunger strike.

Dicle Müftüoğlu made a statement through her lawyers and announced that she would continue her action until 5 February.

Dicle Müftüoğlu's message said: "We live in a reality in Turkey where everyone who thinks, speaks and writes the truth is imprisoned. In fact, we know that it is the truth that is imprisoned and isolated. The hunger strike against isolation continues in prisons. The isolation and ignoring of freedom of expression, truth, democracy and freedoms derives its source from the policy pursued in İmralı Prison. In order for all this darkness to dissipate, the isolation must be broken. As a journalist whose professional activities have been criminalised and imprisoned and who has personally experienced the consequences of unlawfulness, I raise my voice against the silence created. I call on everyone to raise their voices so that the truth does not remain in the dark."

Background

Members of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) and PAJK (Party of Free Women in Kurdistan) imprisoned in Turkey went on hunger strike on 27 November in support of the international campaign "Freedom for Öcalan, A Political Solution to the Kurdish Question". According to the prisoners' representative, Deniz Kaya, the hunger strike is carried out in alternating groups from 27 November to 15 February, the anniversary of the international conspiracy against Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan. Sick and elderly prisoners as well as prisoners with less than two years remaining on their sentence are not included in the action.

Deniz Kaya announced that the prisoners will also publicise the campaign's demands by writing letters to foreign representations, human rights institutions, the media, political parties and non-governmental organisations, and will regularly ask the Turkish Ministry of Justice about Abdullah Öcalan's isolation on the prison island of Imrali. In addition, they will remind the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) of its neglected responsibility. The ongoing court proceedings will be used to denounce the isolation in public spaces and raise awareness about it, said Deniz Kaya, and called on the prisoners to act collectively and to refrain from individual forms of action.