Gustafsson: Demands of hunger strikers should be answered

29 October 2012 – ANF – Turkey’s attempt to reduce the Kurdish people to silence and to eliminate their right to political organization is a major blow to democracy, said Gustafsson of Swedish Left Party.

In a press conference on the hunger strike of political prisoners in Turkish prisons, European Parliament member Mikael Gustafsson from Swedish Left Party called on the Turkish government to immediately fulfill the demands of strikers, release them and to start negotiations for a solution to the Kurdish problem.

Reminding that the strike of prisoners is also supported by women, deputies, human rights defenders, unionists and journalists outside prisons, Gustafsson evaluated the fast as “one of the numerous negotiation and dialogue attempts Kurdish people have made to demand an end to their being oppressed, jailed and murdered since the establishment of the Turkish Republic”.

Gustafsson continued saying that; “The current health condition of Kurdish prisoners, whose act is a consequence of the retrogress in Turkey’s political development, is a highly worrisome development. Turkey’s attempt to reduce the Kurdish people to silence and to eliminate their right to political organization is a major blow to democracy.” Gustafsson also criticized the European Union, which has most recently been awarded the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize for contributing to negotiation and peace for 60 years, for not taking action concerning the hunger strike and initiation of negotiations for a solution to the Kurdish problem. Gustafsson ended demanding the immediate fulfillment of prisoners’ demands, recognition of the right to education and self-defence in mother language and release of all political prisoners.