Today 10 towns and cities from across England and Wales are taking part in a day of action in solidarity with Kurdish hunger strikers across the world. 

The day of action will focus on Tui (formerly Thomson Holidays). It will include protests and actions at travel agents and distributing informative materials to the public.

Over 7000 Kurdish activists are on hunger strike across the world. This action was initiated by Kurdish member of the Turkish Parliament, Leyla Güven, on 7 November 2018. Imam Sis, a 32 year old Kurdish resident of Newport, has been on an indefinite hunger strike since the 17th November 2018. Their conditions are rapidly deteriorating.

The hunger strikers are calling for an end to the isolation of imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan who has been held in a Turkish prison since 1999 and denied access to his lawyers since 2011 and only allowed very brief family visits to check he is alive in recent years. The hunger strikers are also demanding the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) re-open its investigation into the prison on Imrali Island (Turkey) where Öcalan is held.

Activists have chosen to target UK travel agents to highlight the links between the UK and the oppressive Turkish regime. Turkey continues to oppress the Kurdish people even after Kurdish-led forces have recently liberated the last of ISIS’ territory in Syria. Activists also highlight recent Turkish atrocities committed against the Kurds, for example in Afrin and Cizre.

There are a diverse range of actions anticipated as part of the day in various cities including; Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Bangor, Swansea, Barry, Manchester, Liverpool, Penzance, Hull and London. In Bristol there are people starting a 5 day hunger strike in solidarity on this day of action.