More prisoners joined hunger strike
More prisoners joined hunger strike
Four more prisoners in Erzurum Oltu Prison, six in Tokat F Type Prison and five in Osmaniye Prison have announced that they joined the indefinite hunger strike by political Kurdish prisoners across the country. The hunger strike has been launched to protest against the isolation of PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) leader Abdullah Öcalan who has not been allowed to meet his lawyers since July 27 last year.
The hunger strike of political prisoners has also been supported by Ýzmir Branch of Mothers for Peace Initiative who on February 5 ended their three-day hunger strike with a press declaration, saying “We will continue the fight until our leader is free.”
The importance of Öcalan’s role in the solution of the Kurdish issue was also emphasized in the “Kurdish issue, possibilities for solution and the role of Öcalan” conference in Istanbul.
Speaking at the conference lawyer Eren Keskin underlined that the PKK whose members are often from the same families of Kurds was a result of the denial policies followed by the Turkish state.
Diyarbakýr Bar Association Chair Mehmet Emin Aktar also said that, “No success should be expected unless Öcalan is provided with the conditions necessary for his involvement in the peace process.”
While journalist Cengiz Çandar stated that Öcalan was to be considered as the primary interlocutor in any negotiation, lawyer Simonetta Crisci noted that; “The desire for a solution should consider PKK as an official representative and a political party. This is how the similar problem was settled in Ireland.”
In an interview to DIHA, journalist Nuray Mert said that the reality of PKK couldn’t be ignored forever and the question whether PKK is a terrorist organization or not should at least be a matter of discussion.
The hunger strike of political prisoners has also been supported by Ýzmir Branch of Mothers for Peace Initiative who on February 5 ended their three-day hunger strike with a press declaration, saying “We will continue the fight until our leader is free.”
The importance of Öcalan’s role in the solution of the Kurdish issue was also emphasized in the “Kurdish issue, possibilities for solution and the role of Öcalan” conference in Istanbul.
Speaking at the conference lawyer Eren Keskin underlined that the PKK whose members are often from the same families of Kurds was a result of the denial policies followed by the Turkish state.
Diyarbakýr Bar Association Chair Mehmet Emin Aktar also said that, “No success should be expected unless Öcalan is provided with the conditions necessary for his involvement in the peace process.”
While journalist Cengiz Çandar stated that Öcalan was to be considered as the primary interlocutor in any negotiation, lawyer Simonetta Crisci noted that; “The desire for a solution should consider PKK as an official representative and a political party. This is how the similar problem was settled in Ireland.”
In an interview to DIHA, journalist Nuray Mert said that the reality of PKK couldn’t be ignored forever and the question whether PKK is a terrorist organization or not should at least be a matter of discussion.
