PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) and PAJK (Kurdistan Free Women’s Party) prisoners have begun the indefinite hunger strike on 16 December.

Democratic Society Congress (DTK) co-chair and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Hakkari deputy Leyla Güven has reached day 44 of her hunger strike in Diyarbakır E Type Prison.

While 42 prisoners are in their 5th day of fast in Gebze, Patnos, Kandıra, Bakırköy, Diyarbakır D ve Tipi, Van and Edirne jails, six women prisoners in Elazığ Women's Prison have been on hunger strike for 49 days.

“We won’t remain silent”

PJAK prisoners in Diyarbakır E-type Prison released a message about the hunger strike actions.

The prisoners who greeted the hunger strike carried out by Leyla Güven added that the prisoners of freedom will not remain silent against the fascist messages of the Turkish state.

The PAJK prisoners, who pointed out that there was a systematic attack on their history, culture, identity and society through the attack on Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, said: “Amed prison has witnessed similar attacks 40 years ago. The winner in that historic resistance was human dignity. Today, the spirit of the PKK prison resistance has been revived and it will win. As women prisoners of PAJK, we have the determination to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the resistance spirit of that time. Under the slogan ‘Let's break isolation, let's destroy fascism and free Kurdistan’ al, three female friends named Evin Kaya, Kibriye Evren and Hilal Ölmez have joined the indefinite hunger strike”

The prisoners of the PAJK added: “We, women, are determined to follow the steps of our comrade Leyla Güven. Women cannot be freed if Leader Apo is not freed. The freedom of Leader Apo is our freedom.

We invite all peoples, especially the Kurdish people, to support our honorable resistance in prisons.”