The 14 Kurdish activists on hunger strike in Strasbourg have reached day 41 of their fast.

They are demanding the end of isolation against Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and for him to be released. The hunger strikers in Strasbourg began their action on 17 December.

Many politicians and women's rights advocates, including senators and deputy mayors, visited the hunger strikers on Friday.

Visitors underlined in their speeches that European states cannot keep silent while the Kurdish people are demanding the end of isolation and stressed the determination of their struggle.  

Among the visitors Senator Laurence Cohen of Val de Marne, Femmes Solidaires Association Françoise Bontoux and Zeynep Tanrıverdi, Halime Menhoudj, deputy Mayor of Montreuil and Bas-Rhin province PCF secretary Hulliya Turan.

Senator Cohen, herself a member of the French Communist Party (PCF), expressed her joy at the news of the release of Leyla Güven and added that she came to symbolize the action of all Kurds.

She added that he came to show her support to hunger strikers in Strasbourg.

Senator Cohen, who expressed solidarity with the Kurdish people said she had been fighting for equality between women and men. She noted that she was in Strasbourg to convey the message of solidarity with the activists on behalf of the Left-Communist-Green Group in the Senate.

Cohen pointed out that the release of Leyla Güven was the first important step to be reached by the hunger strike struggle, and added that the Erdoğan government had to take a step back after having seen this determination.

Senator Cohen also said that the isolation against Kurdish prisoners, beginning from Öcalan, must be ended.

Support from Montreuil Council

Halime Menhoudj, deputy Mayor of Montreuil and International relations representative brought his solidarity to hunger strikers as well as that of French Communist Party member and mayor, Patrice Bessac.

Montreuil council is twinned with the Kurdish municipality of Bismil.

Menhoudj added that it is “important to expose Erdogan's oppressive regime to the whole world”.

Message of solidarity from Femmes Solidaires

Françoise Bontoux, member of the women’s organization Femmes Solidaires, read the messages sent by the organization's President, Audrey Meret, and Marianne Margaté, member of the Seine-et-Marne Provincial Council.

Bontoux said that the organisation always stood beside the Kurdish people and will continue to do so.

PCF Bas-Rhin Provincial Secretary Hulliya Turan, said she was in Strasbourg to support the Kurdish people struggle for education and civic rights in their own language.

Turan underlined the importance of the hunger strike undertaken by HDP Hakkari MP Leyla Güven and other prisoners and activists against isolation.

Turan also underlined that Strasbourg, the symbol of the unity of Europe and human rights, cannot remain indifferent to such a struggle, thus referring to the request to Strasbourg Mayor Roland Ries to have a bigger place where to carry out their action.

More visitors came from Stuttgart and other cities. Press workers visited journalist Gulistan Ike who is one of the hunger strikers and the other activists to check on their health situation.

Dr. Fahrettin Gülşen, who has been monitoring the hunger strikers from day 1, said that some are presenting alarming symptoms and confirmed that their health situation will worsen in the coming days.