Message from the Hunger Strikers
Edirne F Type Prison
Barış Mete, born in 1975 in Malatya:
‘I’ve been in prison for 7 years. I have a year and a half of sentence left. As you knowthe isolation of our leader, Abdullah Öcalan, is intensifying day by day.
The fascist, Turkish state is preventing our leader from meeting with his family andlawyers.
This approach is proof that the state does not want the freedom of the Kurdishpeople.
The Kurdish people have emphasised on all occasions and platforms that AbdullahÖcalan is their political will.
The state has refused to acknowledge this.
They insist on continuing the policy of denial and annihilation against the Kurdishpeople. This is why the 15 month intensified isolation of our leader is unacceptable.
The Kurdish people have said ‘Öcalan’s existence is our existence, his freedom ourfreedom.’ This is why we cannot claim that the will of the Kurdish people has beenexercised until our leader is freed.
The state is trying to determine the will of the people, and not accepting their true will.Our leader is a bridge of fraternity between our people (Turks and Kurds).
The intensified isolation of our leader means the intensification of war. With thisaction (the hunger strike) we are trying to highlight the conditions of our leader.
Isolation must cease immediately and the conditions for treatment created for theroad to freedom to be opened. Our leader is the messenger of peace. For years he has served for a peacefulsolution. Unfortunately the state and fascist circles did not heed and respond to hiscalls.
They insisted on war. If the war is continuing, it is the fault of the Turkish state. Following the meetings at Imrali and Oslo our leader presented three protocols to the state. However, the AKP government refused to accept the conditions set out in thisagreement and insisted on its policies of denial and annihilation.
This resulted in more deaths and war. What we want today is the freedom of ourleader and an end to the denial and annihilation policies against our nation.
As you will know, we are not permitted to defend ourselves in the Kurdish languagein court. Thousands of Kurds are forbidden to defend themselves in their own mothertongue.
With this action we demand that everyone be able to defend themselves in theirmother tongue. Until Kurds have this right we are going to continue with our struggle.
Until we have all our rights we are going to continue our action. Our demands arelegitimate, this is why in the event of any deaths, it is the AKP government that will be responsible.
The Kurdish people need to support and be in solidarity with us in these extraordinary times. Our families should not insist or call on us to end these hunger- strikes.
We are not going to end these hunger-strikes until our leader is free. We believe that with this action our leader will be free and we will be victorious.’
“Our Hearts Beat With Our People!” Tuncay Genc, 22 year old university student, says” I was born in Dersim. I have been held under arrest in Edirne F Type Prison for twoyears now.
I feel pride in being a part of such a historical process.No matter the limbo we are experiencing, our hearts beat with our people.
In this sense, many of our people have sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom.
We now take on the task of the requests and demands they fought for.And this process will flow on like an unstoppable river.
The barriers trying to obstructthe flow of this river are doomed to collapse.
It shall be known that the Kurdish people are honest in their resistance.
And will not be deceived. Carrying the responsibility of Kurdish generations to come,we will make sure to follow this where it deserves.
Therefore, our lifelong demand is to lift the strengthened isolation and destruction ofmr Ocalan as well as the obstruction of using our own mother tongue.
I took part in the action with commitment as I have nothing left to lose.The faith, identity and hope of our people is currently under isolation in Imrali. If whatmakes us humans are the language we speak and the integrity of ideology createdby the values we believe in, then we do not accept to live in this country as slaves.
Knowing the meaningless of a life without the sun, we will yet continue our action until our demands are met.
This is also an action against those who follow the AKP and CHP, against those run who from their own reality and sell their honour for 5 cents, against those who humiliate their beliefs with their own hands.
All people will be able to express their beliefs and identities in system of democraticcon federalism and democratic autonomy. But as long as there is pressure against Mr Ocalan, who has been a guide to thissystem, everyone In these lands will be dragged down into a chaos step by step. Noone can withstand our desire for freedom.
Our demands are clear, there are no real obstacles for them.The only obstacle is the AKP´s fear of a Kurdish people that is united.
“An honorable and dignified peaceful solution is impossible without Kurdish People’sLeader Abdullah Ocalan”
We hope that everyone will use this historic opportunity in a positive way.
We declare that we are determined to continue on this path.
“Mazlum, Kemal, Hayri never had doubts.”
WHATEVER HAPPENS WE WILL NOT GIVE UP !
“I was born in Bulanik, a town in the region of Mus. I have been in prison forone and half years.” Says, 20 year old Kenan Imrak”A honorable peace and life would only be with the freedom of Kurdish leaderAbdullah Ocalan.Today, some people are mentioning a solution and peace without Abdullah Ocalantaking part.
We will never accept this!Kurdish people want to live peacefully with their leader Abdullah Ocalan. Escalation of war arises from the isolation of Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan.
Neither the Kurdish people nor our leader ever favoured war. Now, screams of peace will be heard by everyone! Everyone should support our actions for peace. In this period it makes me very proud to take part in this historic action. There are friends who have sacrificed their lifes for Kurdish people’s freedom and thefreedom of their leader Abdullah Ocalan. Mazlum, Kemal, Hayri never had doubts.
They always stayed faithful to the Kurdish people and leadership. We need to protect the values they’ve created untill the end and never give up ourstruggle. We will always struggle for our people and leader. We walk on the path full of values created by Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan andour martyrs. I started this hunger strike for a political solution to the Kurdish issue and for peace! Whatever happens, we will not give up!
We will be victorious!”
“The most beautiful and meaningful life is a life of resistance.”
‘A death that will be conducive to a new life is meaningful and sacred.’28 year old Mahmet Zahit Şahin from Erzurum, who has been in prison for 7 years and has a double life-sentence and a separate 70 year sentence said the following:‘ I have been behind bars for seven years. My sentence is with the Supreme Court. There are many reasons for taking an action like this. But in short I can define it as being a chance to reject the cheap and meaningless life the system sells to people.
A human being is like an ocean, he or she can harbour a great many different things inside him or herself. With this action I believe I have the chance to bring together all the differences within myself and display a whole some stance. It is evident that none of us wants to live a cheap life; however it is also clear that weare not abandoning the system that engulfs us like an octopus.
There is always one side of us that is leaning towards the system. This is why our leader views a life without struggle as fraudulent and dishonourable. By taking this action I believe I am engaging in a battle against the cheap life the system promises. My aim is to take this war which began with the leadership of Öcalan to its conclusion.
What is the conclusion?
Yes, we are able to make decisions freely; however this does not mean that we aretruly free yet.
We think there is one more door.
I believe we have a moral responsibility towards the leadership who has opened the path to being a free person and taught us how to struggle for this. We have a responsibility towards our leader Abdullah Öcalan.
The door we must open is the door of Imrali prison, where our leader is imprisoned. This is why with this action we are targeting the freedom of our leader and people. I have a great desire to become a revolutionary, however I have not been able to say ‘I am a revolutionary’ till this day;
I have always found something missing in me. You cannot do things by half measures and call yourself a revolutionary. As everyone can see, guerrilla forces are sacrificing their all in recent battles. On the second day of the hunger strike I listened to the attack of guerrilla forces on the Haruna military station. I was affected immensely. I couldn’t prevent myself.
Afterwards I questioned my revolutionary practice and my approach to the action I was taking. I learned many things in prison; in a sense this action is also a way of testing my revolutionary self and the things I learnt in prison. As you will know, prisons are built as correctional facilities; this action is also a reply to this fact. Another aspect is the massacre of Kurdish children by the Turkish state, and the weight I feel on my shoulders because of this. I am taking revenge, even if a little, for Enes, Ugur and Ceylan among many others. Finally I would like to state this; death is beautiful when it is your turn to die.
A death that will be conducive to a new life is meaningful and sacred; it carries withinit different sounds.
The most beautiful and meaningful life is a life of resistance.’
‘I am calling on the youth of Kurdistan to be in solidarity with their leader and people.’
19 year old Nizam Özlük from Batman, wrote the following in his letter:
‘I have been in prison since February 2011. It is the first time I have been part of anindefinite hunger strike.
There are periods in a revolutionary people’s history that are either remembered fortheir heroism or just become plain memories. Our 40 year struggle has decided that today is a time to be remembered.
We are experiencing a period when the attacks against our people and leader have reached their peak, but at the same time we are the closest to victory we have ever been.
This is why this action is necessary and has been taken at this time. Every nation has sacred values and these values are personified in the leaders who protect, work and sacrifice them selves for these values.
Sometimes to protect and defend your language, your culture, your land and your existence, you may need to protect and defend your leader. To be in solidarity with your leader means to be in solidarity with your struggle.
To live for your leader means to live in freedom. This is why we are taking this action; to live in freedom as a people, with our leader.
We either want to live freely with our people and leader or we do not want to live atall; this is what this action means. We are saying ‘enough is enough’ to 14 years of imprisonment, not just isolation.
Asthe imprisoned revolutionaries of a nation the most honourable reply we could havegiven to the attacks against our people is to take this action. And we will continue this resistance until we get a result. If freedom is gained through sacrifice, then we are ready to pay the price.
‘The PKK taught us resistance’ says Ali Çiçek (a PKK member who died in the 1982hunger strike) who himself taught the youth of Kurdistan how to resist.
In terms of the attacks against us and our people we are experiencing a period that issimilar to the post-1980 military coup.
This is why I believe it is necessary to resist like Ali (Çiçek) and Kemal (Pir).
I am happy to be a part of this resistance in the spirit of Ali Çiçek.
“Our Resistance Will Be Victorious!”
Our resistance will be crowned with victory says 24 years old Nasrettin Merter:
I was born in Farqin, a district of Amed. I have been in prison for six years.
Years ago there were brutal attacks against the leadership of the PKK. Despite this, they resisted and defended their honour. They left a heritage to us. With this action I am one of those millions who will preserve this heritage.
There are serious attacks on the leader of the Kurdish people.
The leadership is the vanguard of the resistance struggle.
They attack a people by attacking him. To remain silent in face of such attacks is against our humanity, our conscience, our morale, our honour and our philisopfy of life.
I joined this action to stand up against these attacks and I am prepared to sacrifice everything, regardless of how high the price is. Our demands are the will of millions. The expectation and goals of the lives of millions.
We are trying to express the will of millions of people although we are kept in prison. Our belief to fulfil this is endless.
Those who call themselves humans have to do something against these inhumane attacks.
What happens on Imrali and in Kurdistan is destruction.
Everyone should take their historical responsibility against this.
To take such a responsibility is important.
To take part in the leadership of the people´s struggle is so meaningful.
Personally, I feel so lucky to be participating!
The soul of millions of people is with us.
This will give us victory.Our struggle will be crowned in victory.
The full list of hunger strikers
Diyarbakır D Tipi Cezaevi
1. Ersan Nazlıer
2. Ferhat Önder
3. Mazlum Tekdağ
4. Ercan Şengül
5. Tayip Temel
6. Ramazan Başarı
7. M. Şerif Aslan
8. M. Salih İlen
9. Ramazan Yıldırım
10. Fırat Bilir
11. Sami Geylani
12. Davut Polat
13. Erdal Emeç
14. Cihat Bekir
15. Osman Ötün
Diyarbakır E tipi Kadın
1. Sara Aktaş
2. Nihayet Taşdemir
3. Mizgin Arı
4. Herdem Kızılkaya
5. Pero Dündar
6. Besime Konca
7. Seve Demir
8. Taybet Belge
9. Zeynep Kaplan
Kandıra 1 No’lu F Tipi Cezaevi
1. Ömer Faruk Çalışkan
2. Fehmi Arslan
3. Mahmut Güçin
4. Yusuf Keskin
5. Cevdet Halim
6. İbrahim Aykurt
7. Nihat Baran
8. Necat Saci
9. Aydın Tunç
10. Hakan Yalçınkaya
Kandıra 2 No’lu F Tipi Cezaevi
1. Muhammed Mahmo
2. Şehmus Öncel
3. Yasin Yılmaz
4. Ersin Yolu
5. Erol Şen
6. Suphi Yalçınkaya
7. Emrah Kaplan
8. Nazmi Doğan
9. Abdullah Rüzgar
Siirt E tipi Erkek
1. Rızgar (Ecevit) Turhan
2. Burhan Eviz
3. Tevfik Özdemir
4. Erdi Çelik
5. Abdurrahman Budak
6. Lokman Karaşi
Siirt E tipi Kadın
1. Gülistan Abdo
2. Gülan Kılıçoğlu
3. Emel Gültekin
4. Dılşah Kocakay
Bolu F Tipi Cezaevi
1. Sakıp Hazman
2. Abdullah Oral
3. Maruf Türka