The 14 Kurdish activists on hunger strike in Strasbourg to demand the end of the isolation of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, have entered their 69 day of fast.

The activists underlined the importance of the support of the people to achieve the end of isolation and force the institutions that could help this goal to be reached, like the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), to take action.

The hunger strikers are in Kurdistan, Turkey and Europe and ask everyone to do whatever in their hands to ensure the voice of the resistance is amplified.

The activists said that they have not put any health issue in the agenda in the 2 months of their fast. They are worried for the prisoners on hunger strike under torture conditions, for Leyla Güven who has been fasting for 108 and for Nasır Yağız who has been fasting for 95 days. They worry that anytime the news of someone fallen martyr in this resistance may come.

At this critical phase of the hunger strike action, ANF share the messages sent to the public opinion by some of the hunger strikers.

The youngest of the protesters, lawyer Deniz Sürgüt, underlined that the hunger strikers in Strasbourg are concerned about the prisoners who are resisting torture in jails rather than themselves. He added that they are worried about Leyla Güven and Nasır Yağız who have reached a very critical stage.

Deniz Sürgüt

“We are now in the 69th day of our hunger strike action. Because of the nature of this action we are now facing a critical period in terms of health. Our friends have lost weight and we had our moments of worry. But, of course, as activists, we are trying to avoid discussing health issues. From our own point of view, we do not make it an issue on the agenda. Because we entered this action voluntarily. We knew what we were going to face, but we followed the resistance led by Leyla Güven and the resistance of our leader for the last 20 years in Imrali.

Especially after the Strasbourg march, our hope was revived a little more. For sure, success seems to be closer. But it should be noted that we could see more clearly how this result will be achieved when the entire public opinion is walking behind us. Recently the mobility in Europe shows this clearly. If we struggle together with our people, the road to success will become shorter. Everybody has a task and responsibility on their shoulders. As Leader Apo said ‘even if you do nothing, you are doing something’. So everybody can do something.

Particularly, some people should make more efforts. Young women are the first to come to mind. If the youth can play its role properly in this process, more powerful this action will be.

We're on the 69th day of fast. It is an action that can lead to death. It is an indefinite action, so the solidarity actions and resistance should be indefinite too. Everyone must have a total mobilization spirit. People should not forget not even for a moment that the news of martyrdom could come at any time now. Heval Leyla or Heval Nasır can fall martyr anytime. Likewise the news of martyrdom can come from the prison.

This is the most important call to young people. Young people must act, wherever they are.”