Turkey’s jailed Kurdish political leader to begin hunger strike
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Turkey’s imprisoned Kurdish political leader will begin a hunger strike on Friday in protest of his detention and conditions in prison.
Selahattin Demirtas, co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), will be joined in his hunger strike by Abdullah Zeydan, the MP for Hakkari, and co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Sebahat Tuncel.
“In consequence of the Edirne Prison’s stance of no-dialogue, unlawful practices, inhuman practices against other prisoners, and the complete lack of good intention regarding the ending of hunger strikes that have been continuing for days, we, too, from Friday on, will begin a hunger strike,” reads a statement issued by Demirtas and Zeydan on Thursday from high security Edirne Prison where they are detained.
Tuncel will join the hunger strike from Silivri Prison where she is being held, HDP tweeted.
Thirteen HDP lawmakers, including the party co-chairs and their deputies, are currently in jail in Turkey.
Demirtas, who has been in jail since November, is facing possibly decades in jail on charges of supporting terrorism and ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). In December, he was taken to hospital to receive treatment for a heart condition.
Tuncel is also facing terrorism-related charges.
On Sunday, a top HDP official warned that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was trying to shut down HDP through mass detentions of senior members and affiliates in advance of a referendum on constitution amendments that would place increased power in the president’s hands.
“As HDP leadership, we need to inform the public of recent events. The AKP government has, for some time now, intensified efforts to stop our activities. There are intensified efforts to shut down the HDP,” said Osman Baydemir, HDP spokesperson.
HDP is campaigning against the constitutional amendments, saying they would put Turkey on the road to dictatorship.
The referendum is scheduled to be held in Turkey on April 16.
A group of Kurdish prisoners began a hunger strike on March 15 demanding an end to the isolation of jailed PKK-leader Abdullah Ocalan, an end to human rights violations in prison, and a halt to destruction of Kurdish cities and towns during Turkish army operations against the PKK.
Selahattin Demirtas, co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), will be joined in his hunger strike by Abdullah Zeydan, the MP for Hakkari, and co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Sebahat Tuncel.
“In consequence of the Edirne Prison’s stance of no-dialogue, unlawful practices, inhuman practices against other prisoners, and the complete lack of good intention regarding the ending of hunger strikes that have been continuing for days, we, too, from Friday on, will begin a hunger strike,” reads a statement issued by Demirtas and Zeydan on Thursday from high security Edirne Prison where they are detained.
Tuncel will join the hunger strike from Silivri Prison where she is being held, HDP tweeted.
Thirteen HDP lawmakers, including the party co-chairs and their deputies, are currently in jail in Turkey.
Demirtas, who has been in jail since November, is facing possibly decades in jail on charges of supporting terrorism and ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). In December, he was taken to hospital to receive treatment for a heart condition.
Tuncel is also facing terrorism-related charges.
On Sunday, a top HDP official warned that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was trying to shut down HDP through mass detentions of senior members and affiliates in advance of a referendum on constitution amendments that would place increased power in the president’s hands.
“As HDP leadership, we need to inform the public of recent events. The AKP government has, for some time now, intensified efforts to stop our activities. There are intensified efforts to shut down the HDP,” said Osman Baydemir, HDP spokesperson.
HDP is campaigning against the constitutional amendments, saying they would put Turkey on the road to dictatorship.
The referendum is scheduled to be held in Turkey on April 16.
A group of Kurdish prisoners began a hunger strike on March 15 demanding an end to the isolation of jailed PKK-leader Abdullah Ocalan, an end to human rights violations in prison, and a halt to destruction of Kurdish cities and towns during Turkish army operations against the PKK.