HDP co-chair Sezai Temelli went to commend activists in Strasbourg who are on hunger strike for 37 days.

The HDP co-chair said that the 20-year imprisonment conditions of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan are in themselves isolation.

Temelli added that since 5 April 2015 the process can be considered one of aggravated isolation.

Temelli stressed that as long as this regime of isolation continues the whole Turkey is under isolation. And this makes Turkey insist on war policy.

The HDP, he noted, has taken a stand for humanity, justice and peace.

Temelli said that today war policies are being carried on beyond borders, as it is openly confirmed by the war threats against Afrin and Rojava.

“Unfortunately, - said Temelli - the persistence of the government and state [in maintaining isolation] continued, and for 3 and a half years later the country was dragged into the vortex of great persecution, violence and crisis.”

Call to CPT and Council of Europe

Temelli underlined that hunger strikes against isolation are being carried out all over the world: Nasir Yagiz is fasting in Hewler for 63 days, and Leyla Güven is fasting in Amed prison for 76 days.

Güven, stressed Temelli, had not been able to attend the visit with her daughter, as her health condition is really bad.

Temelli said: “The CPT and Council or Europe should be sensitive. I call on them to take action.”

HDP Co-chair said that deaths resulting from the actions against isolation can be avoided and added: “The government can take a step to avoid deaths and we repeat our call to take this step as soon as possible.”

One visit does not mean the end of isolation

Referring to the short visit to Imrali Mehmet Öcalan was granted to his brother on 12 January, Sezai Temelli reminded that although it was good news it does not mean that isolation has ended.

The lawyers have applied to visit Abdullah Öcalan 783 times, said Temelli, and if lawyers had been able to meet with him maybe he could have issued a call to end these actions.

Temelli pointed out the importance of ending isolation on basic, legal and humanitarian grounds and expressed the need for political negotiations to be held.

Action for Leyla Güven

Stressing that Leyla Güven took a very important step in this process, Temelli said: “We don’t want to lose Leyla Güven.”

The HDP co-chair conveyed solidarity messages from Turkey to Strasbourg and wished hunger strikers success in having their demands answered to.

Activists: We are looking at Amed

Mustafa Sarıkaya, who spoke on behalf of the hunger strike activists, greeted Temelli for his visit.

The hunger strikers saluted Leyla Güven’s action and said that it has opened the possibility of defeating fascism, and that social dynamics in Turkey can make this possible.

Saying that Temelli’s visit was ‘valued’, Sarıkaya said that the HDP was the most important political party in Turkey.

Stating that winning this process would be possible with the endorsement of Leyla Güven's and other hunger strikers’ actions, Sarıkaya said that winning the municipalities should not be the only aim in the forthcoming local elections.

"Our eyes are on Amed," said Sarıkaya who emphasized that AKP fascism, which waged war and massacres in the Middle East, could be defeated.