Former Diyarbakır Co-Mayor Kışanak Goes on 10-Day Hunger Strike in Prison

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Former Metropolitan Co-Mayor of Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakır Gültan Kışanak, who has been behind bars since October 30, 2016, has gone on a 10-day hunger strike in solidarity with Leyla Güven, the Co-Chair of Democratic Society Congress (DTK) and Hakkari MP of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

Leyla Güven, who was arrested on January 31, 2018 and elected as MP in the Parliamentary election on June 24, has been on a hunger strike for 40 days with the demand that the conditions of isolation imposed Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK) imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan be lifted.

Making a statement via her attorneys, Kışanak announced that "she has gone on a reversible hunger strike" by repeating the demands previously expressed by Güven regarding the isolation imposed on Öcalan. Kışanak added that "isolation violates the fundamental human rights."

What happened?

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Hakkari MP and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-Chair Leyla Güven, who was detained due to her statements about the Afrin operation on January 22, 2018 and arrested on January 31, announced on November 7 that she has gone on an indefinite and irreversible hunger strike, demanding that the isolation of Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK) imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan be lifted.

The hunger strike of Leyla Güven has been supported by political prisoners from different prisons across Turkey. (EMK/SD)