The hunger strike launched by political prisoners in Turkey to protest the isolation of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan and other violations in prisons is now on its 94th day.
The indefinite, rotating hunger strike was launched on 27 November and quickly spread across more than 100 prisons in Turkey. Thousands of prisoners have reportedly participated in the strike.
Elsewhere, hunger strikes supporting the action in Turkey continue in the Makhmour camp in Iraqi Kurdistan and in the Lavrio camp in Greece.
Human rights defenders have called for the demands of prisoners to be met.
Van (Wan)-Hakkari (Colemerg) Medical Chamber chair Hüseyin Yaviç, a member of the Van Coordination of Hunger Strikes Watch, called on all organisations to take the initiative to prevent negative and dangerous outcomes, according to a report by the Mesopotamia Agency (MA).
Yaviç noted that if the strike entered an irreversible stage, there would be serious risks to the lives of the prisoners.
Yaviç repeated his call for the removal of the isolation and violations of rights in prisons, adding, “Our main goal is preventing the extension of the hunger strike. In the case of an extension of that process, prisoners will have permanent and serious health issues. We are trying to prevent such a situation. We state that those responsible should take positive steps for the process and remove the isolation”.
