COLEMÊRG - Necla Atak, one of the prisoners in Kocaeli Kandıra No. 1 Type F Closed Prison, called on the public to support the hunger strike and said: "We will resist until the arbitrary implementations and isolation end."

 

The hunger strike action launched in prisons in Turkey and Kurdistan to demand the physical freedom of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is held in absolute isolation in İmralı Type F High Security Prison, continues on its 8th day. The hunger strike action carried out by the prisoners within the scope of the "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, solution to the Kurdish issue" campaign will continue alternately until February 15, 2024. Necla Atak, who has been detained in Kocaeli Kandıra No. 1 Type F Closed Prison for nearly 7 years, spoke about her hunger strike in a telephone conversation with her family.

 

'OUR PEOPLE SHOULD SUPPORT THE HUNGER STRIKE'

 

Stating that the main purpose of the hunger strike was to end the aggravated isolation of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the violations in prison, Atak said: “The hunger strike actions initiated must combine with the people's spirit of resistance. We cannot achieve results with an action carried out by a single party, our families and our people must support the hunger strikes."

 

'ISOLATION SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED'

 

Emphasizing that they are trying to punish the prisoners and the society with the isolation policies implemented, Atak said: “Everyone needs to raise their voice against this injustice and say 'we want justice for our children'. Thousands of children of these people are currently in prisons, being taken captive for unlawful reasons and being tried. We want our mothers to demand justice and rights for us, too. Our mothers need to do their best to the judicial authorities to end the existing isolation and arbitrary practices. In particular, everyone must oppose preventing the release of prisoners whose sentences have expired, based on arbitrary and personal decisions. Everyone should be against the idea of the prison administrations that 'If you don't think like us, if you don't think like us, your corpses will come out of prisons.' Our people need to say, 'You cannot punish our children with these thoughts.' Torture, violence and isolation should not be accepted."

 

'WE WILL RESIST TILL THE END'

 

Stating that as prisoners who started a hunger strike, Atak said: "We will not accept any unlawful implementation or attitude. The whole society should know that hunger strikes are a right. We will continue to express our demands everywhere and resist until the end. While people who have been held captive for more than 30 years are currently facing risky diseases, the Turkish state has advised all prisoners that all prisoners will not be released without dying in prison. All ill prisoners must be released immediately because they are now struggling with serious illnesses and cannot continue their lives."

 

'WE DO NOT GIVE UP'

 

Stating that they are trying to intimidate the people and the families of prisoners with the policies implemented, Atak said: “The Turkish state is trying to dissuade us from our rightful struggle with this punishment, but it is wrong. We do not give up our thoughts and ideas."

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