The hunger strike launched on 27 November by prisoners to demand the end to the isolation imposed upon Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan and the violations in prisons continues on its 50th day.

PKK and PAJK prisoners have launched a hunger strike on 27 November to demand the end of the isolation of Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan and the violations in prisons.

The indefinite-alternating hunger strike has reached its 50th day and it’s being carried out by the 10th group of prisoners. Each group carries out the hunger strike for 5 days. 

As the AKP-MHP government knew the role of prisons in democratic gains in the country, they attacked  before the action began. Turkish police carried out operations in Amed, Mardin, Siirt, Şırnak, Van, Ankara, Izmir, Malatya and Batman before the hunger strikes began. More than 60 people were detained, including Hüsnü Taş, the co-chair of the Association for Solidarity with Families of Marmara Prisoners  (MATUHAYDER), and some of the association's executives.

First prisoners to go on hunger strike

The prisoners announced their actions through their families on 27 November. The first prisonerss to go on hunger strike were: Nurcan Aslan, Hatice Kaymak and Fatma Bese, in Mersin Tarsus T Type Closed Women's Prison; Sertaç Kılıçarslan, Ozan Alpkaya and Abdullah Günay in İzmir-Kırıklar F Type Closed Prison; HDP former Amed Deputy Çağlar Demirel and Seher Orçu in Kocaeli Kandıra No.1 F-Type High Security Prison.

Some of the prisoners who took over the hunger strike in the past weeks were named as follows:

"Hüseyin Koç in Samsun-Vezirköprü M-Type Prison; Erkan Bayrak in Urfa T-Type Prison; İhsan Bulut and Muzaffer Acu in Van High Security Prison; Lorin Inanç in Bakırköy L-Type Prison; Mehmet Military Duman in Elazığ Prison No. 1; Saadet Akın, Necla Yıldız and Arjin Yüksekbag in Ankara-Sincan Women's Closed Prison; Mehmet Emin Ürper, Şükrü Çiçek, Sabah Dayan and Serhat Çağlı in Kırıkkale F-Type Closed Prison;  Nurcan Aslan, Hatice Kaymak and Fatma Bese Mersin-Tarsus T Type Closed Women's Prison; Sertaç Kılıçarslan, Ozan Alpkaya and Abdullah Günay in İzmir-Kırıklar F-Type Closed Prison; HDP former Diyarbakır MP Çağlar Demirel and Seher Orçu in Kocaeli-Kandıra No.1 F-Type High Security Prison; Hatice Kaymak, Fatma Befre and Nurcan Aslan in Tarsus Women's Closed Prison; Merve Aydoğan from Kayseri Bünyan Women's Closed Prison."

First to support the hunger strike the women and youth

Meanwhile, women and young people immediately support the prison resistance. While the Free Women's Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad -TJA) said: "We salute the hunger strikes promoted by women and call on all women, youth, institutions, organizations and the public who take responsibility in the solution process." Kayapınar Youth Assembly supported the protest with a torch march.

Immediately afterwards, prisoners' families and Peace Mothers organised actions in support to the prison resistance. 

Later, parties, institutions and democratic circles continued their actions and statements in support of the prison resistance.

Meanwhile the repression in the prisons increased. Several prisoners conveyed to their families the abuses and violations they were subjected to.

Hunger strikes in Maxmur and Greece

Not only the prisoners but also the people and institutions launched hunger strikes against the isolation imposed on Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan.

A hunger strike was launched in Maxmur Camp under the leadership of women against the Imrali isolation on December 18. The action in the Martyrs' Families Association is on its 29th day.

Refugees in Lavrio Camp of Greece also went on hunger strike in order to end the isolation against Öcalan and to support the resistance in prisons. The indefinite-alternating hunger strike in Greece is on day 12. The hunger strike in the camp is led by the Revolutionary Youth Movement (TCŞ-Tevgera Ciwanên Şoreşger), the Kurdish Women's Movement in Europe (Tevgera Jinên Kurdistan a Ewropa) and Navenda Çanda Kurdistan (Kurdish Cultural Center).