Füsun Erdoğan’s Son Starts Hunger Strike

Aktaş Erdoğan, the son of Füsun Erdoğan who has been sentenced to life within Turkey’s MLKP case, has started a 3-day hunger strike in order to protest the life sentence of his journalist mother.

A bianet writer, Füsun Erdoğan has worked as the former coordinator of Özgür Radyo. She has been sentenced to life and additional 789 years of prison. 

Aktaş Erdoğan made the following statement: 

“Freedom for my mother” 

“Did you know? 

“There are dozens of jailed journalists in Turkey. My mother is only one of them. Just like other journalists, advocates, union members and students in prison, they have been arrested within a conspiracy by police and prosecutors. 

“She has been tried in one of the special duty court, which no longer exist for being unreliable. Not only that she received life sentence, but they also found her guilty from several charges and added up thousands of addition prison terms. She didn’t have a fair trial and she was found guilty with no evidence. 

“I am going to have a symbolic 3-day hunger strike in order to emphasize on the truth of jailed journalists and to call everyone to join the cause. I am calling those who advocate for human rights and have a conscience. 

“Hear my scream for justice. I am demanding for freedom for my my mother. I am calling you to be in solidarity, I am calling you to be in solidarity. I am calling you to be a part of it. You might be the target tomorrow.” 

What happened?

Jailed over 7 years within MLKP trial, Erdoğan received aggravated life sentence in November 2013 along with other defendants Ali Hıdır Polat, Naci Güner, Ziya Ulusoy, Bayram Namaz, Arif Çelebi and İbrahim Çiçek. 

The court also found them guilty in 155 other incidents, a ruling that added in sum around 3,000 years of additional prison on the top of life sentence. (EA/BM)