Special Secretary to the Prime Minister Clare Brosnan responded to hunger striker Kardo Bokani’s letter and said she wrote the letter as per the request of Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney.

The letter said, “The Irish government is aware of and concerned for the hunger strikes by MP Leyla Guven and some 300 militants. Ms. Guven’s situation was discussed in the Irish Parliament in January, and we called on Turkish authorities to take urgent precautions to improve the conditions. (...) We were glad to learn that Ms. Guven was released from prison on January 25, but our concern for the continuation of her hunger strike and the deterioration in her health continues.”

Brosnan said the European Union, the Council of Europe and the Irish government have always relayed their concerns about the hunger strikes, the imprisonment of elected officials, journalists, academics and civilian activists to the Turkish authorities, and added: “We have always called on the Turkish government to respect the fundamental rights of citizens.”

The letter said: “In general terms, it is clear that the Kurdish issue can only be resolved through the establishment of a constructive dialogue aiming for a peaceful, general and permanent solution. Ireland has called for the reestablishment of such a dialogue that would serve to restart the political process. We continue to support efforts that aim to create contact between Kurdish and Turkish parties.”

The letter concluded with: “I assure you that the Irish government will continue to monitor closely the situation in Turkey both in terms of the hunger strikes and Kurdistan, and our concerns for human rights in general, freedom of expression, rule of law and respect for democracy.”