In a statement on behalf of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) and PAJK (Kurdistan Women’s Freedom Party) prisoners, Deniz Kaya has said on Tuesday that prisoners in 12 more prisons will join the indefinite hunger strike that has been going on for 22 days to protest the isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan as well as the military and political operations.

“We will continue our action until we hear a concrete statement by our leader about his health and safety” said the statement which also noted that oppression and rights violations in prisons increased since the beginning of the hunger strikes.

Hunger strikes were started on the anniversary of Öcalan’s capture on 15 February 2012 in prisons in Diyarbakýr, Batman, Siirt, Mardin, Midyat, Urfa, Elbistan, Malatya, Bingöl and Bitlis. Prisoners in Antep, Adýyaman, Adana Kürkçüler, Adana Karataþ, Adana Ceyhan, Silifke, Mersin, Ermenek, Ýskenderun, Antalya, Hatay and Osmaniye prisons will join the indefinite hunger strike without turns as of 8 March.

The hunger strikes to support the prisoners also continue outside prisons. In Ýzmir, Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Karabaðlar District members took over the two-day hunger strike turn as a group of 20 started a two-day hunger strike with turns in Isparta.