The hunger strike by 14 activists launched on December 17 demanding an end to the isolation imposed upon Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan continues in Strasbourg on day 122.

Kurds and allies coming from all around Europe visit the activists every day.

Among today’s visitors were Swiss MEP Bodil Valero of the EP Greens and German MEP Martin Schirdewan from the United Left-Northern Greens.

Hunger striker KCDK-E Co-chair Yuksel Koc greeted the MEPs and informed them about their health as well as restating their demands.

The visit was brief due to Koc’s health issues. Koc spoke about the physical hardships the hunger strikers had and added that they all went on the hunger strike accepting all possibilities.

Koc also stressed that they are determined to continue their protest until the isolation is broken and stated that the isolation imposed upon Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan is not just a war against the Kurdish people but also signifies an attack against democracy, freedoms and coexistence.

Koc added that the silence of European institutions is unacceptable and continued: “Turkey violates universal human rights and at the same time continues negotiations with Europe, which claims to be the defender of democracy. Meanwhile, as a country that has signed CoE conventions, Turkey is attacking the Kurdish people in front of Europe and arrests thousands of Kurdish politicians. Turkey has isolated the Kurdish People’s Leader for the last 8 years and cut off his communication with his people.”

Yuksel Koc added that Europe’s silence has forced them to take on such a form of protest. Koc said the Council of Europe and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) need to pressure Turkey to resolve the matter at once: “Defending universal human rights should be the most fundamental task for all humanity.”