The hunger strike Leyla Guven, the hostage co-chair of Democratic Society Congress (DTK) and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Hakkari MP, launched to protest the isolation imposed upon Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan has reached day 10. HDP Amed chapter and MPs wanted to hold a press statement in front of the Diyarbakir Type E Closed Prison to show support for Guven.

The group, which included DTK Co-chair Berdan Ozturk, HDP MPs Saliha Aydeniz, Dersim Dag, Remziye Tosun, Musa Farisogullari and Tuma Celik, HDP Amed Chapter Co-chair Filiz Buluttekin and DBP Amed Chapter Co-chairs Ibrahim Cicek and Naside Toprak, were stopped by the police who surrounded the HDP offices.

POLICE HARASSES HDP MPS

HDP MPs protested the obstacle and had an argument with the police. HDP MPs insisted on passing through but were stopped by the police using shields. HDP MP Saliha Aydeniz said the police harrassed MPs during the scuffle. Aydeniz called the police “harassers”, and the police chief said she can’t call “the officers of the state” harrassers, leading to increased tension between the HDP MPs and the police.

HDP MPs issued a statement under the blockade. Aydeniz said their democratic right is being obstructed and added: “As MPs, as MPs of a party that won the votes of 6 million people, we are obstructed by the police. This is a clear crime. If we are obstructed in the city we are elected MPs of, what does that say about the state, the law, or the constitution? And with no shame, they talk about laws and constitutional frameworks.”

“PEOPLES ARE UNDER ISOLATION IN THE PERSON OF ÖCALAN”

Aydeniz pointed out the isolation imposed upon Öcalan and said: “This isolation is a conspiracy against the peoples of the Middle East by the international hegemonic powers to stop them from utilizing their right to self determination. Mr. Abdullah Öcalan is facing an aggravated absolute isolation. In the person of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, the peoples of Kurdistan and the Middle East are facing a severe isolation.”

“OUR ACTIONS WILL CONTINUE”

Aydeniz pointed to Leyla Guven’s hunger strike and said: “Ms. Leyla Guven started a hunger strike to draw attention to the path the peaceful voice of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan will show the whole world. Today, we were to launch a hunger strike in front of the Diyarbakir Type E Closed Prison to show support and draw attention to the hunger strike. The governor is acting unlawfully as he banned the streets and the press statement at the last minute. We will continue our actions.”

“THE IMRALI ISOLATION DEEPENS THE WAR”

Aydeniz said the group including HDP MPs, party members and NGO representatives will launch 2-day hunger strikes in Amed, Van, Hakkari, Adana and Urfa and added: “We have the hope that with the isolation imposed upon Mr. Abdullah Öcalan being broken, peoples will receive hope for peace. The key for peace is in Imrali. The isolation imposed upon Imrali is the work of the AKP and MHP alliance, which feeds off of constant war. We stress that the government must abandon the warden role at once, and a language of peace must be established with Mr. Abdullan Öcalan for the future of peoples.”

“CONTINUE TO FIGHT, STANDING TALL”

Aydeniz said the following: “We won’t give in to threats. On the anniversary of Seyit Riza’s murder, like Seyit Riza and his comrades didn’t bow down, we haven’t bowed down to fascist approaches and we will not bow down. We will continue to fight, standing tall until the democratization of this country leads to the liberation of Kurdistan.”

The police still have the HDP offices surrounded.