Zülküf Gezen, the prisoner who gave his life in Tekirdağ No 2 F-Type prison to protest isolation in Imralı, was buried without the family’s knowledge.

HDP co-chair Sezai Temelli, HDK co-sposkesperson Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, DBP co-chair Memet Arslan and many MPs wanted to visit his grave in the Yeniköy Cemetery.

The HDP people who came to Yeniköy Cemetery was prevented from entering by police with anti-riot vehicles.

A discussion went on between the police and the politicians. HDP MP Ayse Acar Başaran accused police of having disposed of the body, to which the police replied ‘we are the state police’.

TOMA tanks dispersed the deputies with pressurised water when they tried to enter the cemetery. Police shoveled deputies with shields and batons.

After a time the deputies were allowed into the cemetery, where they made a press statement.

HDP people then went to the village of Şaklat where condolences for Gezen were taken.

Koçyiğit: there is no law respected in this country

The HDP people went to the condolences house where Temelli, Koçyiğit, Arslan and deputies conveyed their condolences to the family.

Koçyğit said: "We make a call every day in order to avoid these deaths from happening. But the Minister of Justice is lending a deaf ear to our calls. Our friend Zülküf Gezan ended his life to protest the isolation in Imralı. But unfortunately, his body was brought to Amed without our knowledge or the family’s, and was buried without his family being able to do what they intended in terms of religious ceremony. What happened shows that there is no law respected in this country. Our martyrs are ours. We call on the people of Kurdistan to claim their martyrs.”

Aslan: Kurds are raising their voices for all the peoples of Turkey

DBP co-chair Mehmet Arslan said: “Kurds are using their bodies to protest isolation. We the people of Kurdistan are raising our voices against the AKP’s dirty policies on behalf of all the peoples of Turkey.

Now Kurds in this country are unable to fulfill their religious obligations, unable to bury their deaths, mourn their dead. Kurds are losing their lives to protest the persecution against Mr. Öcalan, and the people who remain silent lose their humanity and lose their conscience and morality."

Temelli: Time to say ‘stop’ to the government

HDP co-chair Sezai Temelli said: “Today, we live together in both lawlessness and injustice. For long time, a very long time, Ms Leyla Güven Turkey has appealed to the people of Turkey to draw their attention to a great injustice. She has been on hunger strike for 131 days to draw attention to this illegality, which is called isolation.

Hundreds of people are putting their body at stake in many parts of the world. From the beginning of this action we have called on the Ministry of Justice and told him the legal demands of the hunger strikers. We don't want anybody in prison to lose their lives. Unfortunately, a friend died yesterday in prison. If the Ministry of Justice had fulfilled its duty, our friend, would still be alive. As soon as possible, the Ministry of Justice has to play their part.

Lawyers have made an application to go to Imralı close to 800 times, but every time, an excuse has been made and the demand has been rejected. No more excuses, we no longer want to lose another person in prison. We do not want to lose Leyla Güven. From this loss, there are very important lessons to be taken. We said that the issue of isolation, justice, the question of law, cannot be a tool for politics. There is nothing more precious than life.”