321 political prisoners continue their indefinite non-alternating hunger strikes, led by DTK Co-chair and HDP MP Leyla Guven who has been on a hunger strike for 104 days to protest the isolation imposed upon Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan. Simaperi Akyildiz, mother of imprisoned hunger striker Edip Akyildiz, spoke to the ANF and said she supports her son who has been on a hunger strike for 48 days. Simaperi Akyildiz said she is proud of Leyla Guven and all political prisoners on hunger strikes who have been shouldering this heavy burden and added: “They are all heroes. I am especially proud of Leyla Guven, because she made history with her resistance. There isn’t another woman on Earth like Leyla. She has been on a hunger strike for 104 days to end the isolation against her Leader, and is determined to continue until the isolation is ended.”

“ISOLATION SPREAD TO THE WHOLE COUNTRY”

3 out of Simaperi Akyildiz’s 8 children are in prison. She is one of the Kurdish mothers who know best what devastation wars cause. Akyildiz stressed that the isolation in Imrali means insisting on war, and that the key to peace is in Imrali. “We are all under isolation along with Mr. Ocalan,” said Akyildiz and pointed out that the isolation started in Imrali and spread throughout the country in time. Akyildiz said the oppression, bans and arbitrary arrests know no end and added that all rights won have been taken back through violent means. Akyildiz spoke about her daughter Leyla Akyildiz, who is a political prisoner in the Bakirkoy Closed Women’s Prison, and the torture she was subjected to. Leyla Akyildiz was dragged on floors and battered by the soldiers when she refused to go to a doctor’s visit in handcuffs, and her wrists were lacerated due to the handcuffs. The mother said, “It cannot go on like this.”

“WE WILL PREVAIL IF WE RESIST”

Simaperi Akyildiz protested the Parliament acting like the 3 monkeys about the hunger strikes: “If my neighbor is hungry, I cannot eat. Leyla Guven and 300 of our people are on hunger strikes right now, but the government and the Parliament are silent. This is cruel.” Akyildiz said if this general air of silence continues, the families will go on hunger strikes and called on the Ministry of Justice to “end the isolation before coffins start coming out of prisons”. Akyildiz said, “We are all following Leyla Guven’s path,” and added that their cries must be heard. Akyildiz concluded with: “How long will we live under this oppression? Kurdish people should rise up and resist, because we will prevail. By Allah we will break this isolation and tear down this AKP-MHP fascism. Like Leyla Guven says, we will prevail through resistance.”