Kurdish activist Nasir Yagiz, for more than three months, has been on an indefinite and non-alternating hunger strike in the city of Hewler in order to protest the isolation of the Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Ocalan. Yagiz’s health condition is deteriorating every day.

The co-chair of the DTK and HDP MP for Hakkari, Leyla Guven went on hunger strike in November 2018 while in prison to demand the removal of aggravated isolation imposed on the Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Ocalan. Nasir Yagiz, a Kurdish citizen from North Kurdistan in Hewler, South Kurdistan, was among the first activists who joined the wave of the resistance.

The hunger strike by Yagiz is on the third month now, and his health is at stake with every hour that passes.

Referring to Yagiz’s health state in an interview with the ANF, the co-chair of HDP’s representative office in Hewler, Abid Îke said: “Yagiz’s physical strength is falling every day, he is not able to stand normally or lay down, and he stays up late at night due to severe headaches and stomach pain. He does not have a regular sleep pattern due to loss of energy in his body.”

“When he falls asleep, he cannot quickly wake up, sometimes sleeping late until noon. We can say that in 24 hours, he only stays standing for 4-5 hours. During that period, he tries to walk and welcome the delegations who come to visit him. He has lost a significant amount of weight. He is also facing difficulties with drinking liquids, vomiting after each drink. His body is melting away, constantly losing energy,” said Îke.

Ike highlighted Yagiz’s morale and said: “He is determined and faithful to his promise to leader Apo. He believes that even the hunger strike is not sufficient action. He is seeking for a way to step up his act. He strongly opposes the restricted isolation imposed on Abdullah Ocalan and violation of human rights in Turkey.”

Yesterday, a member of the women’s council in Maxmur refugee camp, Fedîle Tok, who is also on an indefinite hunger strike to protest Ocalan’s isolation, paid a visit to Nasir Yagiz in Hewler.

Yagiz’s letter to the CPT and European organizations

Member of the HDP’s council, Nasir Yagiz, on day 39 of the hunger strike, had written a letter to the European Court of Human Rights, the European Council and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), urging them to take immediate action.

Yagiz’s letter is as follows:

“I, Nasir Yagiz, was born in 1999 in the city of Batman in North Kurdistan. Since my childhood, I have greatly suffered due to the strict assimilation against the identity, language, and culture of the Kurdish people. As a young Kurdish man, I was targeted by the Turkish state attacks merely for my Kurdish identity.

When I was participating in a democratic struggle, I was detained for political activities. After my initial release, I was sentenced to jail. Therefore I sought asylum and went on exile. For the past 9 months, I have been living as a political refugee in Hewler, South Kurdistan.

International human rights agreements declare that all human beings are born free, yet millions of Kurdish people have been deprived of the same natural rights by the occupying state of Turkey. Like Abdullah Ocalan who is jailed in Imrali for 20 years, every Kurd has been deprived of basic human rights.

Inhumane isolation is enforced on Ocalan

Mr. Ocalan has not been allowed to meet his lawyers since 2011, similarly with his family since 2016. In the person of Ocalan, illegal and occupying plots are utilized against the Kurdish people. Unprecedented inhumane isolation is imposed upon Mr. Ocalan.

Since you are avoiding your responsibilities in face of this inhuman isolation, you have a role in the ongoing oppression in Kurdistan and Turkey. For your silence towards the prosecution of people who have been denied their basic rights, many human rights activists were criminalized. Under these circumstances when Ocalan is left alone, I was forced to take the hunger strike initiative, risk my life to protest the isolation. I am on a hunger strike for the past 39 days. As long as Mr. Ocalan’s isolation is not removed or there is no news on his conditions, I will continue my hunger strike upon my free will, and turn it into death fast if required.

Ocalan is crucial for peoples in the region

Mr. Ocalan in the Middle East is a source of both war and peace. To learn about his conditions is crucial for the people. Today thousands are on hunger strike and demand Ocalan’s freedom, the campaign will further spread.

I hope the justice and law mechanism in Europe will adhere to its historical mission and take action.

I am calling on you to take action and protect universal human dignity before my hunger strike ends with death.”