Thousands of people are on indefinite non-alternating hunger strikes around the world and in prisons in Turkey, demanding an end to the isolation imposed upon Kurdish Peoples’ Leader Abdullah Ocalan.

The hundreds of prisoners in Turkish prisons have been on hunger strikes for over 100 days, as thousands of others joined the indefinite non-alternating hunger strike on March 1.

Prisoners, who are held under inhumane conditions, continue to worsen and are pressured to end their hunger strike.

When speaking with their families, the prisoners say their morale and motivation is high.

Abdullah Oral from Kiziltepe, Mardin has been in prison since 1999.

Oral was sentenced to life in prison and has been in the Izmir Kiriklar Prison No.1.

He has been on an indefinite non-alternating hunger strike for 93 days as of March 28, and told his family during a phone call that they are determined to continue and they will do so with great morale.

Oral’s family said the prisoners have their health monitored but the prison administration is pressuring them to stop the hunger strike.

Oral said one prisoner’s kidneys have stopped functioning. He added that they won’t bow down to pressures and will continue their protest until the end.

Oral said they are aware that the resistance affects millions of people: “Leyla Guven, Nasir, Imam, Dilek, Yusuf and Fadile have taken our demand to millions of people. We believe our people are doing all they can in this matter, we have no doubts.”

“WE WILL FREE KURDISTAN”

Oral added: “We will not go back until we reach our goal. The people of Amed must support Leyla Guven. We must all respond to the dictator who says Kurdistan doesn’t exist. We say, the isolation exists but we will break it. Fascism exists but we will tear it down. Kurdistan exists and we will free it. Look, Rojava heralds good news. We celebrate the SDF’s Operation Cizire Storm. We salute their success in Baghouz for the SDF, Leader Apo and our people.”

OPPRESSION BY THE PRISON ADMINISTRATION

Oral also spoke about the oppression by the prison administration and said: “When we first started the hunger strike, they confiscated our televisions and radios. We can’t receive newspapers from the free press, the prison doesn’t give them to us. They aim to sever our ties with our people. They give us solitary confinement, ban our phone calls and visits with our families. But we resist, with the spirit of July 14. We follow our people and our movement. We salute you all with the Apoist spirit.”