Hunger Strike in North Kurdistan (Turkey)

[burnsss]

Istanbul, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkey's government made an emotional plea Wednesday to hundreds of hunger-striking Kurdish prisoners -- some who haven't eaten in more than a month -- to end their protest.
Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin made the televised appeal Wednesday during a visit to Sincan prison in the Turkish capital.
"I am telling the prisoners and detainees who are on this action: On the eve of this holiday, for the sake of your own body, your own health, the people who love you and whom you love, stop this action," the minister said.
The holiday Ergin is referring to is the Islamic "Feast of the Sacrifice" or Kurban Bayrami, which will be observed in Turkey starting Thursday. It's the celebration that marks the end of Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.
The justice minister said at least 680 prisoners are currently on a hunger strike in prisons across the country, but Turkey's Human Rights Association, which closely follows the country's long-simmering Kurdish conflict, said 715 inmates are striking in 48 prisons. Some of the protesters have been without food for 43 days, and there are fears about their deteriorating condition.
"Their health is in bad condition," said Gonul Sonbahar, a member of the Human Rights Association's Prison Commission, in a phone interview with CNN.
"Some of their symptoms include vertigo, trouble walking, violent headaches, bruising on fingers and eyes, nausea, nose bleeds, trouble swallowing water, blood in stool," she added.
Sonbahar said the protesters had three main demands: the release of imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, the right to Kurdish language education and the use of Kurdish in Turkish courts.
Ocalan is one of the founders of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has waged a 30-year guerrilla war against the Turkish state. Though he has been in a Turkish prison on an island in the Marmara Sea since his capture in 1999, PKK fighters have continued their war against the Turkish government.
Throughout the long conflict, which has claimed more than 30,000 lives, the PKK has modified its goals from demanding a separate Kurdish state to fighting for the expansion of Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights, as well as the release of Ocalan.
For decades, the Turkish state discriminated against the Kurds, Turkey's largest ethnic minority, which now makes up roughly 20% of the population. The Kurdish language was banned, and Kurds were long referred to as "mountain Turks."
During Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's 10 years in power, the government has made historic outreaches to the long-oppressed population, an effort that included secret talks with PKK leaders in 2005.
Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, or AKP, also made a number of overtures toward the Kurds, relaxing bans on Kurdish language education, appearing to apologize for past discriminatory policies and launching a state Kurdish-language TV station.
But PKK-related violence has spiked recently, reaching death tolls unseen in more than 13 years, according to a report published by the International Crisis Group, a non-profit conflict mediation organization.
The ICG argues Turkey's arrest and detention of more than 7,000 Kurdish activists over the past several years has contributed to the radicalization of some.
Erdogan "actually did more for the Kurds than anyone up until now," said Hugh Pope, senior Turkey analyst with the ICG, in a CNN interview last month. "(But) when a wave of massive arrests of legitimate Kurdish politicians began, that's when I think young people especially lost hope and the PKK's arguments for the legitimacy of armed struggle became persuasive to them."
In his appearance before journalists at Sincan prison, Ergin tried to draw attention to previous reform efforts.
"There has been progress in Turkey for a long time on expanding democratic rights," the justice minister said, adding that the government had made a pledge to try to allow the use of Kurdish language in Turkish courts.
Ergin did not address the demand for Ocalan's release.
Sonbahar of the Human Rights Association told CNN the hunger-striking prisoners were determined to continue their protest, even if it results in illness or worse.
"This is a perpetual and irrevocable hunger strike," she said.

If anyone dies it will be responsibility of the terrorist mongolian state and people. We will have our revolution soon.

[max_b]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/25/turkish-kurds-hunger-strike-erdogan?newsfeed=true

[Qonyeyi]

Being born a Kurd has been a huge weight on mine and my family's shoulders!" begins Berivan, aged 29, as we sit down for our interview in a warm cafe 50 metres from St Martin in the Fields, on the corner of Trafalgar Square in London, where a group of Kurds are participating in a three day hunger strike in solidarity with the historic mass hunger strike unfolding in Turkey.

The hunger strike in Turkey is entering it's 45th day, while Berivan has just finished her first day she is already looking tired and cold but utterly determined.

Her brother, Battal is finishing his 10th day as part of the mass indefinite hunger strike in a prison cell in Izmir, which is partly why Berivan has joined the solidarity hunger strike in London.

"From the moment I was born the problems began" continues Berivan grasping her plastic bottle of sugared water.

I suddenly feel guilty that I've brought her to a cafe to do the interview but at least there is momentary warmth out of the bitterly cold, northerly winds lashing the cold concrete steps of the church.

"My family name is Berivan but I had to make a pretence of being called Ufuk when I went to school or with any officials of the Turkish state."

"I'm on hunger strike because of the countless injustices and discrimination that Kurds face in every single sphere of life in Turkey. When I left school I went to university but how can one concentrate when your people are suffering such injustices, it's impossible!"

"My brother Battal was at university in Izmir and during the civil disobedience campaigns just before the Turkish elections in 2011, he wanted to ask the local BDP official if it would be possible to set up a 'Democracy Tent' at his university as a way of showing solidarity."

"The police had tapped the phone and were listening to the conversation. They raided his home that evening and took him into custody and charged him with being a member of a 'terrorist' organisation and said that they had evidence he was organising tents to be sent to Qandil for the guerrilla fighters of the PKK!"

"Can you imagine? He is now in prison because of that telephone call asking if the BDP could set up a tent at his university!"

"These are the ordinary people who are filling Turkey's jails in the so called 'KCK' trials" "They label anyone who is doing ordinary activities for Kurdish rights as 'terrorists'!"

"He demanded to speak in Kurdish at his so called 'trial' and so he has still not been sentenced or tried!"

When I ask Berivan about her younger brother's prison conditions, she begins for the first time in the interview to crack her fingers and her mouth quivers.

I suddenly regret asking the question. After a few moments she gathers herself and looks me in eyes.

"My mother doesn't know...." Tears begin to well in her eyes but she composes herself again and continues."

Our translater, who is also on the hunger strike leans forward and quickly explains that Berivan's mother does not know that Battal has joined the indefinite hunger strike and Berivan and her family believe that if they told her it would seriously affect her health and she could possibly die herself.

"We no longer receive letters, the prison authorities have stopped them" again she stops to compose herself.

"You know, my brother loves films, in my letters to him I used to write detailed accounts and reviews of films for him but now.." she chokes. I choke. The translator chokes. After a long pause and composing herself she says, "now I'm calculating just how many more letters I can send him....."

Later after she has composed herself, cracked her fingers again and taken a sip of her sugared water she is defiant!

"I support my brothers action and if need be I will do the same! I would burn myself tomorrow if I thought it would bring change for my people!"

I ask her if there is anything else she would like to add and she pulls herself up and looks me straight in the eye!

"I know one thing. One day the world will answer for their crimes to the Kurds! No power on earth can prevent the progress of the Kurdish Freedom march, those who try will bitterly regret it!"

* Author of the blog http://hevallo.blogspot.com/

[Qonyeyi]

Support demonstration for the hunger strike in Elih ( Batman)

[Cewlik]

What is the gain of that hunger strike? It would be useful here in Europe, but not in the barbaric state of Turkey. Do you think Turkey will move because of that?

And the aim is just to meet with Öcalan. The BDP already say, if they get the right to see Öacal only one time, they will end this hunger strike.

Its a win win situation for Turkey, they must do nothink and Kurds will die or they will give up this hunger strike.

[Qonyeyi]

What is the gain of that hunger strike? It would be useful here in Europe, but not in the barbaric state of Turkey. Do you think Turkey will move because of that?

And the aim is just to meet with Öcalan. The BDP already say, if they get the right to see Öacal only one time, they will end this hunger strike.

Its a win win situation for Turkey, they must do nothink and Kurds will die or they will give up this hunger strike.

Look at the pictures then you will know the gain of a hunger strike. Look at the hungers strikers OWN words then you will understand.

[Cewlik]

Look at the pictures then you will know the gain of a hunger strike. Look at the hungers strikers OWN words then you will understand.

They already eat 46 days nothink and have bleedings and brain damages. This damages are for ever. And there are already demonstrations without such stupid actions.

Everythink only for a meet with Öcalan. Its a win win situation for Turkey. Why Öcalan dont make a hunger strike? He was not man enough to give up his power after he was arrested, he was also not man enough to stay behind Kurds and Kurdistan, he just said that he was sorry and that he was used from other powers and he even said that he was a half Turk.

[Qonyeyi]

Just read the letter of Mazlum Tekdag and other prisoners instead of just assuming things. Btw, I reported you for going off topic with your lies again.

[Cewlik]

I reported you for going off topic with your lies again.

I dont care about what you reported. Bleedings and brain damages, belongs exactly to this topic.

I mean they make a hunger strike for Öcalan, but Öcalan never make such actions for his people, even after he was arrested he dont stay behind his own words, he just say that he is a Turk.

I dont expect from a free leader to make a hunger strike, but I expect it from a leader who is in prison, who lose his honor and have nothink to lose.

[Qonyeyi]

Haha. Heval, what are you expecting to get from your lies? You aint gonna fool no one but other Kurds. That is whats sad.

[Cewlik]

Haha. Heval, what are you expecting to get from your lies? You aint gonna fool no one but other Kurds. That is whats sad.

I dont want to post the Video of Öcalan here where he say that he was a half Turk and that he was sorry. But I think you know the Video, so dont say that it is a lie.

[Qonyeyi]

Thats not the lying part. I already pointed out to you what you were lying about. Heval, I will always point out your lies like I have done numerous times before. You can not trick anyone. But be my guest and show the video like the Turks do whenever they are caught off guard and with no more arguements. It is not like I expect much more from a Cewliki jash

( see what I did there?)

[RawandKurdistani]

Thats not the lying part. I already pointed out to you what you were lying about. Heval, I will always point out your lies like I have done numerous times before. You can not trick anyone. But be my guest and show the video like the Turks do whenever they are caught off guard and with no more arguements. It is not like I expect much more from a Cewliki jash

( see what I did there?)

Please don't offend him, he did'nt insult you.

[Cewlik]

But be my guest and show the video

No need to post this shameful Video in a Kurdish Forum. I would prefer to post the Video of Qazi Mohammeds execution, because his last words are honorable.

[unitedkurdistan]

Just read the letter of Mazlum Tekdag and other prisoners instead of just assuming things. Btw, I reported you for going off topic with your lies again.

Heval gyan just avoid him, I find this to very honorable and they should be treated with respect by every kurd. This is also symbolic not only for Ocalan. But what I do agree with Kak Cewlik is that if they also did this outside turkey the result would be much better. But if they manage to show the massive hungerstrike outside turkey to the world it would be great anyway. Lets hope for the best. People around the world will realise that 40 million kurds supports PKK's struggle against the fascist/barbaric state called turkey and will realise if PKK are so called terrorists then so are the 40 million kurdish supporters.