Deniz Kaya issued a written statement in the name of PKK and PAJK prisoners and said the unlimited nonalternating hunger strike has reached its 6th day. Kaya stressed that it has been over 3 years since the isolation imposed upon Ocalan started: “The peoples of Kurdistan and the global public haven’t heard a single thing from Leader Apo. We do not know whether our Leader is alive or not, or what has been happening within the Imrali torture system. There has been an intense regime of tyranny and torture imposed upon Leader Apo for the last 19 years. The Turkish state wants to make our people surrender in the person of our Leader through isolation and torture, to make us slaves to them and to prolong their racist and colonialist system.”

NEW GROUPS TO JOIN THE ACTION

Kaya said: “The Turkish state and the AKP-Erdogan regime haven’t responded to our demands yet. They responded to the Kurdish people and the guerrilla with operations. We will never accept these fascist and genocidal policies.”

Deniz Kaya said new groups will be joining the hunger strike: “42 friends have started the unlimited nonalternating hunger strike on December 16 in the Gebze Closed Women’s Prison, Patnos Prison, Elazig Type F Prison No.1, Van Prison Type F, Besikduzu Prison, Bakirkoy Prison, Kandira Prison Type F No.1, Edirne Prison Type F and Diyarbakir Prisons Type D and E. They continue with great resolve on day 6. We are aware that all our friends want to put themselves on the line for our Leader’s freedom and join the action with great faith, resolve and eagerness. But we believe it is important that friends join the protests as planned in the program.

In this context, friends from new prisons will be joining in groups in the coming days. The second groups to join the hunger strike will be from the Silivri Prison, Tekirday Type F Prison No.1, Sakran Women’s Prison No.2, Odemis Prison and Kirikkale Prison. Friends from these prisons will be joining the unlimited nonalternating hunger strike on December 26. The third groups are from the Bandirma Prison, Alanya Prison, Kayseri Prison, Tarsus Prison, Tokat Prison, Hilvan Prison and Siverek Prison. Friends from these prisons will be joining the unlimited nonalternating hunger strike on January 5, 2019.”

UNTIL OUR DEMANDS ARE MET

Kaya pointed out the following: “The unlimited nonalternating hunger strike PKK and PAJK prisoners have launched in prisons in Turkey and Kurdistan continues on day 6. To avoid any misunderstandings, we will repeat and clarify our statement. There will be groups of prisoners joining our unlimited, nonalternating hunger strike protest that we launched on December 16, 2018. It won’t be all friends in a given prison, groups will be joining according to each prison’s population and in the framework determined beforehand.

We are not responsible for anything that could happen if our demands are not met. No system of torture or isolation can make Leader Apo surrender. Our people will most certainly prevail, and colonialist policies will fail. We are calling on our patriotic people to support any and all demonstrations including serhildans and on all of the democratic public to raise awareness.”