For Immediate Release
Contact: Luqman Barwari
(805) 402-6440
kncna@kncna.net
Los Angeles, CA- Almost 800 Kurdish political prisoners in 58 prisons in Turkey are
reaching the 50th day of an indefinite and irreversible hunger strike. Serious health
consequences stemming from the strikes could be imminent as the US-backed Turkish
government refuses to meet the political prisoners' legitimate demands.
The hunger strikers are calling for provisions to use their mother language in education
and the public sphere; the removal of obstacles preventing imprisoned Kurdish leader
Abdullah Ocalan from negotiating in peace talks with the Turkish state; and respect for
the fundamental rights of the Kurdish people.
The Kurdish struggle for equal rights has made historic gains in recent years, and Turkey
has responded by imprisoning thousands of Kurdish democracy advocates, including
elected politicians, lawyers, journalists, and human rights defenders. Meanwhile, the
Kurdish political movement has continued to call for a negotiated rights-based solution to
the conflict within Turkey's borders. Despite this, the US-backed Turkish government has
taken an increasingly hard-line posture towards the Kurds, unilaterally terminating
negotiations with the Kurdish political leadership, intensifying military and political
operations against the Kurdish movement, and preventing Abdullah Ocalan from seeing
his lawyers since July 2011.
The root causes of the hunger striker are therefore Turkey's refusal to accept a negotiated
solution to the Kurdish issue and the AKP government's attempt to crush all democratic
resistance to its unjust policies. Any adverse outcomes resulting from the protest will be
due to the government's intransigence.
Those on hunger strike include imprisoned members of parliament from the pro-Kurdish
Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), notably Şırnak deputies Selma Irmak and Faisal
Sarıyıldız, as well as Mardin deputy Gulseren Yildirim. Bekir Kaya, the mayor of Wan,
has also joined the protest.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other human rights organizations have
denounced Turkey’s record of violating the human rights and of its Kurdish population.
AI recently voiced concerns over allegations that the Turkish government isn't respecting
the hunger strikers' rights and called on Ankara to show due respect for these rights.
The Kurdish people have clearly shown their support for the hunger strikers and their
demands with a series of demonstrations and actions across Turkey. Family members of
strikers and concerned people have been taking turn to wait in front of the prisons to
force the government to act upon this mass resistance.
As Kurds based in North America, we're calling on people of conscience everywhere to
contact public authorities to pressure the Turkish government to honor its obligations
under international human rights law. We ask you to reach your political representatives,
Turkish consulates and embassies near you, as well as human rights organizations.
An outpouring of public concern at this time could achieve important gains for the
Kurdish struggle for equal rights and save the lives of hunger strikers.
Please act now. Tomorrow may be too late.
Kurdish American Advocacy Group
The Group consists of representatives of various Kurdish organizations across the United
States and their supporters. You too can add your name by accessing the petition on line,
please usww this link:
http://www.change.org/petitions/luqman-barwari-support-the-kurdish-hunger-strikers
1. Kurdish National Congress North America (KNC-NA)
2. New England Kurdish Association (NEKA)-members
3. Kurdish American Youth Organization (KAYO)-members
4. California Kurdish Community Center (CKCC)-members
5. American Kurdish Association (AKA)-members
6. Kurdish American Society (KAS)-members
7. Kurdish Community of America members-North Dakota, Minnesota
8. Kurdish American Human Rights Campaign (KAHRC)-member
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