Former HDP MP Faysal Sariyildiz, and former co-mayor of Cizre Leyla Imret who both join the long march from Basel to Strasbourg, stated that everyone must resist against the Turkish state’s brutal concept that started from Cizire and continues until today.

The long march from the Swiss city of Basel to Strasbourg in France is on the fifth day. Two of the witnesses of the massacre in Sirnak’s Cizre district, former HDP MP, Faysal Sariyildiz, and former co-mayor of Cizre, Leyla Imret are also joining the march. The two Kurdish politicians spoke to the ANF and addressed the importance of the demonstration.

‘Leyla Guven voices the demands of everyone’

Sariyildiz highlighted the hunger strike campaign led by Leyla Guven and said: “Our friend Leyla Guven is on the 97th day of her hunger strike. She is very close to the point of an irreversible damage. This resistance is taking place before everyone’s eyes. An undesired news could come at any time. Leyla Guven started this action to reclaim the demands of all of us and the values revealed by the 40-year struggle waged by the Kurdish people in the person of Mr. Ocalan.”

‘It would be a great shame if we lose our comrades’

“The resistance of the Kurdish hunger strikers at the same time is a reaction to a brutal concept that the Turkish state launched three years ago. At such time, the Kurdish people should unite around this campaign. We owe to the comrades who are on hunger strike. They are voicing our demands, they are determined. It would be a great shame if we lose them. On the 3rd anniversary of Cizre massacre, we must support our comrades and echo their demands,” Sariyildiz said.

‘Isolation leads Turkey into a chaos’

Sariyildiz noted that a brutal concept against the Kurdish people first started with the isolation of Ocalan and continued: “That process is still continuing. The brutal concept continues to lead Turkey into a chaos. It continues to cause the death of our people. Therefore, everyone should rise up against the isolation and support the hunger strike resistance.”

Imret: The isolation must be removed

The former co-mayor of Cizre, Leyla Imret stated that she has participated in the march in order to condemn the international conspiracy against Ocalan and to express solidarity with the hunger strike resistance in Kurdistan and abroad. “The health state of the hunger strikers is critical, the isolation should be removed immediately. The resistance that started in prisons spread throughout the world. This is the spirit of resistance of Mehmet Tunç and Asya,” said Imret.

‘Our people have the power to break the isolation’

Imret noted that after three years, the resistance against state fascism was continuing in a different way today. She added; “For the freedom of peoples, democracy and a humane life, we believe that the isolation of Ocalan must end. The isolation targets the entire society in the person of Mr. Ocalan. In parallel with the isolation, the Turkish state is implementing a policy of intense war and genocide in Kurdistan cities and towns. We know well that the isolation must end to stand against all these threats.”

Imret stressed that the Turkish state’s war and isolation policies will not succeed, and added: “Imralı is the only address for peace and a solution to problems. For this reason, Leyla Guven’s demand is the demand of entire society. Therefore the hunger strike resistance should be supported.”

Imret stressed that the people had the power to break the isolation, urging urged everyone to step up the resistance.