Istanbul: Detained LINKE Politician Released
‘We are glad that LINKE politician Feleknas Uca is out of prison again. At the same time we are worried about the human rights situation as well as the postition of political prisoners in Turkey’, declares vice party chair of DIE LINKE, Jan van Aken. Van Aken continues:
The former EP parliamentarian of DIE LINKE was arrested by a Turkish anti terror unity on arrival in Istanbul before continuing her journey to Diyabakir yesterday in the early morning. She was accused of membership in the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Union of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK), an association of civil Kurdish organisations, taking a stand for the recognition of Kurdish identity.
Being accused of KCK participation as of nearly any political activity in Kurdish civil society organisations allows for allegations of supporting terrorism. Against many of the 10,000 of political prisoners in Turkey charges are brought in the so called KCK-trial since 2009. Among them are politicians of the Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), mayors, human rights activists, journalists, and unionists.
Since 12 September over 700 prisoners are on hunger strike in Turkey. By this time they have reached the crucial phase where their health and life is in danger. Meanwhile many politicians of the Kurdish BDP joined the hunger strike. Among the claims of the strikers are a peaceful democratic solution of the Kurdish Question, the right to Kurdish language lessons, which is still denied the 20 million Kurds by Turkey, the right to defend onesself in Kurdish in court, as well as an end to solitary confinement.
Felecnas Uca was carrying vitamin B1 compounds on her way, intended for the hunger strikers in Turkish prisons. These compounds are vital to avoid after-effects of a hunger strike. On detaining Uca Turkish justice shows to criminalise any solidarity with the claim for a peaceful democratic solution of the Kurdish Question.
DIE LINKE takes a stand for a peaceful solution of the Kurdish Question and declares its solidarity with the hunger strikers.