A statement issued by the HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) Press Office said, “As the hunger strike started by DTK Co-chair and HDP Hakkari MP Leyla Guven continues on day 55, our MP Abdullah Zeydan has started another hunger strike in the Edirne Prison he is imprisoned in to support the protest.”

Zeydan said the following in a note he sent through his lawyers: “DTK Co-chair and Hakkari MP Ms. Leyla Guven has laid her body on the line 55 days ago so the isolation imposed upon Mr. Ocalan is lifted. The way out of this spiral of violence that has cost the lives of thousands of our people in Turkey in the last 4 years is to end the isolation imposed upon Mr. Ocalan. I would like to announce that I am going on a 10-day hunger strike to support the cry and call of our esteemed deputy.”

OVER 90 POLITICAL PRIONERS ON INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKES

According to the HDP, currently there are over 90 political prisoners on an indefinite and non-alternate hunger strikes for solidarity with Guven and to protest the isolation imposed upon Ocalan.

It is expected that the hunger strikes will reach a new level with new participations from January 5 onwards.

The elected officials on hunger strikes like Zeydan are: Former HDP Co-chair Figen Yuksekdag, DBP Co-chair Sebahat Tuncel, ESP Chairwoman Cicek Otlu, Amed Co-mayor Gultan Kisanak and Dersim Co-mayor Nurhayat Altun.