"We went on Hunger-Strike - Negotiation is the Solution"

Deputies of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) went on a two-day hunger strike at the BDP head office in Ankara at 10.00 hrs on Monday morning (20 February). With their action they are supporting more than 60 detainees who went on an unlimited hunger strike in protest of the ever increasing number of political and military operations and isolation policies.

The deputies addressed the government and the parliament in a written statement to start negotiations and a process of dialogue as soon as possible in order to solve the Kurdish question.

Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block deputies Selma Irmak and Faysal Sarıyıldız incarcerated at the Diyarbakır prison are among the group of detainees that went on a hunger strike on 15 February. They protest against "operation carried out in the scope of the Union of Kurdish Communities (KCK) and against the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan", imprisoned leader of the armed outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

BDP Co-Chair Gültan Kışanak told bianet that with their hunger strike they were drawing attention to the oppression experienced by their friends on hunger strike in prison.

"It is truly difficult to leave someone for dead as a means of political struggle according to the will of that person", Kışanak underlined and said that this scream from prison should be heard before it was too late.

Ertuğrul Kürkçü, BDP Deputy for Mersin, explained that it was the aim of their hunger strike to give publicity to the struggle of the people who went on hunger strike in prison. He noted that the political prisoners had no other option to continue their struggle but going on hunger strike. "We are there. Issuing press releases, submitting parliamentary questions, speaking in parliament... No matter how much these people are being restrained, we have these options".

Kürkçü added that one of the aims of the hunger strike was raising awareness in public and in the government that spring and summer in Turkey may pass with conflicts.

Deputy Sebahat Tuncel indicated that the will of the people was put into jail by incarcerating members of parliament. She said that the deputies in parliament had lots of things to do and that they would attend the Newroz celebrations on 8 March.

Deputy Sırrı Süreyya Önder described the position of the government as a point of discussion whether Kurds were a civil people or not. Referring to the KCK operations, Önder said that the government should take notice of the fact that the Kurdish people encountered this kind of operations before.

The hunger strike of the BDP and Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block deputies will be continued until 18.00 hrs on Tuesday (21 February). (SK/HK/AS)