The hunger strike in Strasbourg launched by 14 people with the motto “Break the isolation system, Take down fascism and Free Kurdistan” on December 17 continues with great resolve.

Hunger strikers’ health is critical as visits increase. Kurdish journalists including writer-journalist Fuat Kav and KNK members went to Strasbourg from various European cities.

Scotland Kurdistan Solidarity Committee member Sarah Glynn also went to Strasbourg and met with the hunger strikers. Glynn inspected the hunger strikes’ current condition as part of an effort to inform various media institutions.

“TAKING DOWN THE WALL OF SILENCE”

Faruk Sakik spoke during the Kurdish journalists’ visit and said they went to Strasbourg to see for themselves the resistance they followed every day over the news. Sakik said it is important to embrace the resistance and stressed that even if the protests don’t achieve their goal, they have succeeded in reaching out to and connecting with the public.

Sakik stressed that the resistance is an intervention against the fascistic practices in Turkey and added that the hunger strikers have “torn down the wall of silence”. Sakik pointed to the importance of mass support for the resistance and added that everybody should support the resistance through whatever steps they can take.

YALCIN: THERE IS A DUTY FOR ALL PEOPLES, NOT JUST KURDS

KNK Member Ali Yalcin spoke during the visit and said the whole world knows the Kurds’ situation and added that it is still important to work to create further public awareness globally. Yalcin pointed out that the hunger strikes should be embraced and there is a duty for everybody and all peoples for them to succeed, that it is not just a duty for Kurds.

KNK Member Ali Yalcin said it is “a humanitarian duty” for each individual to raise the struggle against the isolation and added that the whole wolrd is facing a responsibility towards Kurds again, a century later. Yalcin added that Kurds say “Edi bes e” (Enough) and they will raise the resistance.

TO KURDISH PARTIES AND MOVEMENTS: WE WILL PREVAIL, WE WILL GET RESULTS

KCDK-E Co-chair and hunger striker Yuksel Koc said the journalists’ visit is meaningful for them and thanked the journalists for their efforts as they never left them alone throughout the protest.

Koc also spoke about the KNK, one of the most prominent institutions representing all parts of Kurdistan, and said the isolation targets all of Kurdistan. Koc pointed out the importance of support from several Kurdistan institutions and added that insufficient support from some institutions and movements has been disheartening.

Koc pointed out that the protest created an impact in young and old, men and women, adults and children alike and said: “They should know that we will break this isolation imposed upon Kurdistan. This resistance has brought forth a fighting spirit in Kurds, Armenians, Asyrians-Syriacs and other peoples of the region from Germany to Hewler, from Australia to here. Kurdish institutions and parties should know that we will in fact prevail.”

The hunger strikers in Strasbourg are: Former HDP MP Dilek Ocalan, politicians Mustafa Sarikaya and Mehmet Nimet Sevim, European Kurdish Democratic Society Congress (KCDK-E) Co-chair Yuksel Koc, lawyer Deniz Surgut, journalist Gulistan Ike, Kurdish National Congress (KNK) members and academics Kardo Bokani and Nurgul Basaran, Ekrem Yapici, Ayvaz Ece, Ramazan Imir, Agit Ural, Kerem Solhan and Ramazan Imir.