Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputies Leyla Güven, Dersim Dağ, Murat Sarısaç and Tayip Temel, who have been on an indefinite hunger strike demanding the end of the isolation of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, released a written statement after lawyers of Öcalan announced having met the Kurdish Leader in Imralı Island Prison on May 2nd.

The statement of the HDP deputies said the following;

“After eight years, Mr. Öcalan has had a meeting with his lawyers. This meeting is historic and of great importance. However, it also brings into question “In what kind of a country are we living that we feel happy over a visit of lawyers that has been arbitrarily and unlawfully prohibited so far?” True, we are all experiencing a bittersweet happiness. Bodies have been melting away to make sure that this meeting takes place. 8 young people have ended their lives for this visit to take place. Our mothers are dragged on the ground every day in order for this meeting to take place, in order for this state to implement its own laws, in order for laws to be equal for everyone.

As Mr. Öcalan highlighted in his last message, “There is a need for a deep social reconciliation in this historic process we are experiencing. We can solve the problems in Turkey, and even in the region -- first and foremost the war -- with soft power; that is with intelligence, political and cultural power instead of tools of physical violence.”

We have been fighting to make sure that such important messages reach the public opinion. It is obvious that in an environment where isolation is totally abolished, Mr. Öcalan would provide further outstanding contributions to democratization and peace in the country and the region.

We are concerned that this meeting with Öcalan has been enabled in order that the government is relieved for a while without providing a slightest assurance that the practices in Imralı will be brought to an end. For this reason, our resistance continues with determination.

The most important thing expected of the government at the moment is to declare the total abolition of isolation to the public opinion. Such a declaration will not only contribute to Turkey’s democracy but also serve as a step to end the ongoing hunger strikes.”