HDP MPs' Hunger Strike Taken Over by Second Team

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Yesterday (February 1) evening, a second team has taken over the shift for the hunger strike initiated by three MP’s from Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) demanding to transport the injured and dead stuck in the basement in Cizre.

The hunger strike initiated by HDP Group Deputy Chairperson İdris Baluken, Adana MP Meral Danış Bektaş and Urfa MP Osman Baydemir in Ministry for Internal Affairs on January 27 has been taken over by Group Deputy Chairperson Çağlar Demirel, Muş MP Ahmet Yıldırım and Hakkari MP Nihat Akdoğan.

In its written statement, HDP Grand National Assembly Group Administration has announced that they would continue their strike in rotation until the injured and dead are transported to the hospital.

“Our democratic fight continues”

Statement of the HDP is as follows:

“Seven of our civilian citizens among others who had taken shelter in a basement in Cizre following the bombardment by special operation teams and has been stuck there waiting for help till today, have lost their lives and a majority of the rest are injured and are still waiting for help. Our democratic fight to transport our citizens stuck in the ‘basement of horror’ continues.

“Our MPs have launched a hunger strike as the injured and the dead still had not been transported to the hospital despite all the negotiations and meeting we had held. As a result of the discussions and evaluations in the authorized organs of our party, we have decided to continue our hunger strike in rotation until the injured and dead in the ‘basement of horror’ are transported to the hospital.

“On the 10th day of keeping the injured and dead stuck in the ‘basement of horror’ waiting, which is also the sixth day of our hunger strike and third day in not receiving any news from the ‘basement of horror’, our group deputy chairperson Çağlar Demirel, Muş MP Ahmet Yıldırım and Hakkari MP Nihat Akdoğan have taken over the shift for our hunger strike.

“As of now, we remind our demand to transport the injured and dead stuck in the ‘basement of horror’ to the hospital immediately and draw attention to the responsibility of the government and would like to announce to the public that we will maintain and intensify our reactions as long as we do not get any results”. (BK/DG)