DTK Co-chair Leyla Guven who continues her hunger strike demanding an end to the isolation imposed upon Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan received an important offer of support from Germany. 20 women in the parliament from 8 states of Germany issued a joint declaration stating that Guven is not alone.

Among the MPs signing the declaration were group chairwomen in state parliaments and deputy group chairwomen. The MPs pointed out that Guven has been on a hunger strike demanding an end to Ocalan’s isolation since November 7, 2018 and stated that her health continues to deteriorate every day.

“TURKEY MUST COMPLY WITH THE ECHR”

The declaration said Guven and many other HDP politicians and activists have laid their bodies on the line and added: “As women in the parliament it’s not possible for us to stay silent in the face of these developments. We, like Guven, demand that Turkey comply with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and end the isolation against Ocalan at once.”

MPs said they want a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey and the immediate release of HDP mayors, MPs and other politicians. The women in the German parliament also declared support for the recent declaration issued by 50 Nobel prize laureates and called on the Federal Government to “put political pressure on Turkey, an important partner”.

The declaration, led by North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) State Parliament Greens MP Berivan Aymaz and Hamburg State Parliament MP Cansu Ozdemir and expected to garner more signatures in coming days, had the following initial signatories:

Anke Schwarzenberg (Die Linke Brandenburg), Berivan Aymaz (NRW Greens), Cansu Özdemir (Die Linke Hamburg Group Co-chair), Christiane Schneider (Die Linke Hamburg), Claudia Köhler (Bavaria Greens), Cornelia Lüddemann (Saxony-Anhalt Greens Group Chairwoman), Dr. Carola Ensslen (Die Linke Hamburg), Eva Lettenbauer (Bavaria Greens Deputy Group Chairwoman) Eva von Angern (Die Linke Saxony-Anhalt Deputy Group Chairwoman), Gülseren Demirel (Bavaria Greens Deputy Group Chairwoman), Heike Sudmann (Die Linke Hamburg Group Administrator), Juliane Nagel (Die Linke Saxony), Karola Stange (Die Linke Thüringen), Kati Engel (Die Linke Thüringen), Katina Schubert (Die Linke Berlin), Kerstin Köditz (Die Linke Saxony), Miriam Strunge (Die Linke Bremen), Sabine Boeddinghaus (Die Linke Hamburg Group Co-chairwoman), Sanne Kurz (Bavaria Greens), Sofia Leonidakis (Die Linke Bremen).