Kurdish hunger strike over

DİYARBAKİR (ANP) – The hunger strike of some 700 Kurds in Turkish prisons will end on Sunday, Kurdish MP Aysel Tugluk announced after visiting hunger strikers in the prison of Diyarbakır.

Earlier Saturday night it became clear that PKK leader Öcalan was visited by his brother that day. He brought Öcalan’s message that the hunger strikers should end the strike, which entered its 67th day on Saturday.. They had been demanding an end to the isolation of Öcalan, and the use of Kurdish in education and in court.

Tugluk said the hunger strikers ‘were considering’ the message, but that they are glad with Öcalan’s call to end the hunger strike. In other words: the hunger strike is over. Fact is that Öcalan is being listened to and only he could end the hunger strike this way.

The hunger strikers are spread over dozens of prisons in Turkey. They are being informed of Öcalan’s call to end the hunger strike by their lawyers. It is expected that the strikers will start eating again on Sunday.