Political prisoners of PAJK (Kurdistan Women's Liberation Party) and PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) in İzmir's Aliağa Campus of Prisons started an indefinite-irreversible hunger strike on February 15 to protest the isolation imposed upon Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the continued rights violations and physical and psychological torture in prisons.

The hunger strike is on its 20th day, with 8 prisoners from T2, 5 from T3 and 5 from the women’s department.

The Şakran Prison has turned into a systemic torture center and every day new incidences of rights violations and torture come to light. Families going for visitations are subjected to mistreatment and physical torture in the prison and healthy communication with the arrestees is impossible due to communication penalties issued to prisoners.

The prisoners on hunger strike sent a message through their lawyers, which is as follows;

"We as PAJK and PKK prisoners in Şakran, 8 men and 5 women, started an indefinite-irreversible hunger strike on February 15 to protest the aggravated isolation of our Leader, the ongoing State of Emergency (OHAL) process, and to demand a return to the process of resolution and negotiations. More inmates from other prisons in Şakran are joining the hunger strike every day.

The practices put into effect during the recent process of OHAL and statuary decrees are at an unacceptable level. We call on our our people and public opinion to show sensitivity.

PKK and PAJK prisoners."