The hunger strike launched by political prisoners in jails in Turkey and North Kurdistan to demand the physical freedom of Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan and a political solution to the Kurdish question, has reached its 112th day.

Abdullah Öcalan and Ömer Hayri Konar, Veysi Aktaş and Hamili Yıldırım, who are held in Imralı, have not been allowed to meet with their families and lawyers for 36 months.

In order to end the isolation in Imralı and ensure the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, the "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, solution to the Kurdish question" campaign was launched on 10 October 2023, with simultaneous statements made in 74 cities around the world.

As part of the campaign, political prisoners went on hunger strike on 27 November 2023.

Hunger strike to continue until after local elections

The prisoners had originally said that they would bring the hunger strike, which is carried out alternately, to a new phase as of 15 February, if no steps were taken regarding their demands. However, in a statement they announced that they would continue the hunger strike until after the local elections to be held on 31 March.

In a statement, Deniz Kaya said on behalf of the PKK and PAJK prisoners on 12 February: "We will continue our hunger strike action, which we started on 27 November 2023, in order to end the isolation imposed on our Leader, and which we announced to the public that we will take it to a new phase on 15 February, so that it does not affect the election activities. We would like to state that we have extended the hunger strike until the post-election period so that it does not hinder the elections."

The statement also said: "We declare to the public that if the isolation of our Leader continues until after the election, we will take our action to the next level and continue until we get results," and called on all democratic institutions and circles to take responsibility to meet their demands.