Leyla Güven, member of the Turkish Parliament, for four months on a hunger strike. It calls for better prison conditions for PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. Hundreds support the action. But the government is silent.
“For me, it is heavy, almost hopeless days in my life. She is my mother, my friend. My biggest fear is that something happens. I try to calm myself by talking to myself of courage, and think that in the end everything will be fine.”
These are the words of a young woman whose mother is since 118 days on hunger strike. The 37-year-old Sabiha Temizkan is the daughter of Leyla Güven, member of Parliament of the second largest opposition party in the Turkish Parliament, the pro-Kurdish HDP.
Abdullah Öcalan, since last 20 years in detention. Since the 8. November 2018, have worsened the conditions of detention for the head of the Turkey and of the EU as a terrorist organization banned Kurdish party PKK: no visiting rights for his family, no visits from his lawyers. Exactly since that day, Leyla Güven is on a hunger strike. Doctors say that her life was “hanging by a thread” hanging.
In an Interview with Deutsche Welle, her daughter confirmed that her mother had not yet taken off 14 pounds. The Go and also Speak to Leyla Güven from the day of the event-to-day harder. This is also the reason why Leyla Güven was unable to conduct the Interview with the DW itself.
Leyla Güven has decreased to 14 pounds. Daughter Temizkan trying to support you
In front of the house in Diyarbakir in the Southeast of the country, where Leyla Güven continues her hunger strike continued, patrolling the local police. Sabiha Temizkan is doing everything to support her mother, she says: “Doctors say that there are already the first signs of muscle wasting at my mother’s. She is 55 years old, and her condition is getting critical. As long as the demands of my mother will not be implemented, as long as you remain firm in their resolve to continue.”
In the detention deputies elected
Leyla Güven is one of the most important figures in Kurdish politics. 31. January 2018 she was arrested; the charge was “terrorist-support”. Nevertheless, it was in the parliamentary elections on 24. June of last year, as a Deputy of the HDP in the Turkish Parliament is elected. At this time, you are still in custody.
Until today, in Turkish society Kurdish parties associated with the PKK and the underlying ideas. The HDP (democratic party of the peoples), was founded in 2012; PKK leader Öcalan sent to the Foundation a word of greeting, but the party distancing itself from the violent acts of the PKK. The party is focusing on minority rights, especially for the Kurdish minority. They got in the parliamentary elections of 2015 voices of Kurdish and Turkish voters and achieved a vote share of about 13 percent. Also in the case of the early parliamentary elections in 2018, it came with just under 12 percent of the vote to the Parliament. After the coup attempt of 2016, hundreds of HDP MPs and party officials were arrested, including the former party leaders Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdag. For 94 of the 102 municipalities in which the HDP was the mayor, ordered the government administrator forced.
The government is silent, the activists are determined to
In the past three months, have connected hundreds of PKK sympathizers Leyla Güvens demands for better prison conditions for Abdullah Öcalan. They, too, are on a hunger strike; day-to-day their number is increasing, many are in critical condition. The Erdogan government is silent, however, to the hunger strikes. 12. January of this year, was after a long time, Öcalan Mehmet visit his brother in prison. However, Leyla Güven, and their followers stand by their decision that The hunger strike will continue until there is a visit, guarantee for family and lawyers.
“The crisis is getting bigger and bigger“
The bar Association of Diyarbakir human rights associations and other NGOs such as the Association of medical professionals have established the “platform for the observation of hunger strike”. Cihan Aydın, the Chairman of the Diyarbakir bar Association told DW that the number of hunger strikers among detainees PKK-sympathizers have risen up today significantly. Aydin estimates that “well over 10,000 people are on hunger strike”.
The bar Association has pointed out on several occasions, always at the risk of hunger strikes. Aydin says further: “Before someone gets hurt by a hunger strike seriously, or even death, the Problem must be solved on a legal way. But, unfortunately, the government has responded to our notes to date in any way. The crisis is ever-greater.”
In spite of the detention of Leyla Güven was elected in June 2018 into Parliament
In Turkey, hunger strikes as a political Motivation is a Tradition, particularly in the Kurdish policy movement. Whether in the 1980s or in the 1990s, and again there was a collective hunger strike, to the Association to enforce tents receivables. The highlight was undoubtedly the 12. In September 2012, as also for the Ocalan was protested. Even then, it was a better prison conditions for the PKK leader. At the time, far more than 10,000 prisoners in the hunger strike occurred in many Turkish prisons. After Öcalan’s family, the access was granted, ended the prisoners in their hunger strike after 68 days. At the same time, the government began with PKK representatives of the so-called peace process. In 2015, the process was aborted, however, the reason for this is lack of trust on both sides. Shortly afterwards, the fighting between the PKK and units of government, began again. The state refused since that time, the access of family members and lawyers for the PKK leader.
“An indication of the Overload policy“
Dr. Vahap Coşkun, a Professor of public law at the faculty of law of the Diyarbakır Dicle University. Compared to the DW, he assumes that the numerous hunger strikes are an indication for the Overload of the policy. On the other hand, Coşkun stressed that the hunger strike was not an acceptable Form of political struggle, because their lives will be set. The lawyer points out that Turkey, with local elections to be immersed in a critical Phase, and adds: “Despite this pessimistic scenario there is still much to do, the need to take the policy.”