'Let's Give an Ear to Demands of Rights, Lawfulness, Justice'

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The Citizens' Initiative and Union for Democracy (DİB) have made a statement regarding the hunger strikes going on in prisons, saying, "What really matters is life! Let's don't be a spectator!"

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Hakkari MP and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-Chair Leyla Güven is on the 100th day of her hunger strike, which she began for the isolation on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan to be lifted. Along with Güven, more than 300 inmates are on hunger strikes.

The Citizens' Initiative said in today's (February 15) statement that the hunger strikes are spreading to the outside of the prisons and many strikers' medical conditions are about to pass the critical line.

"No higher value than human life"

The following has been said in the statement:

"We, as people who witnessed many of our people's deaths and permanent disabilities, are very concerned about the deaths and disabilities that we may face at this point.

"The state has the foremost responsibility for the lives of all citizens', especially those are in prisons. For solving the problem and preventing dangerous developments that may end up with deaths, a dialogue should be established immediately, without hurting the individual's will and pride.

"The latest hunger strikes call the state to treat all the arrestees and convicts equally and justly within the framework of human rights and law. Doing what is necessary is the responsibility of the state.

"There are no higher values than human life. We would like to remind that whereas we respect the will of the hunger strikers, their deaths or permanent disabilities would not serve any cause, on the contrary, it will weaken the struggle for freedom, rights and justice.

"Hundreds of our people are heading to death and irreperable physical and cerebral disabilities. Let's try to understand why these people are risking death. Let's give an ear to their demands of rights, lawfulness, freedom and justice. Let's hear Leyla Güven's daughter Sabiha's scream: 'Please don't let my mother die! Please!'"

"Saying, 'What really matters is life,' we call on all relevant institutions, all parts of the society, political parties, politicians, sensitive people, to support life, not death, glorify life and do their best to end the hunger strikes."

About the Citizens's' Initiative

The Citizens' Initiative is a group of people who conducted the "one minute of darkness for constant light" protests in 1998. In the early 2000s, it transformed itself into the Peace Initiative and conducted the "no to war in Iraq" protests. It occasionally expressed citizens' reaction in small and large events.

It is not an ordered and strict structure. It is a structure that anyone can join, citizens from every part of the society can contribute to. It does not have a fixed administration and place. It is not perpetual.

About the Union for Democracy

It is an independent platform for democracy which is not under the umbrella of any party or any political view. Components of the DİB first gathered in a meeting on June 28, 2016. More than a hundred organizations, platforms, initiatives, institutions and individuals agreed on a "Declaration of Beginning."

At the Democracy Congress in October 23, 2016, the components agreed on four areas of struggle: State of emergency and statutory decrees, presidential System, Freedom of Religion and Peace. (AS/VK)