Urgent appeal:
November 10, 2012
To the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR),
To the Parliament of the European Union,
To the Parliament of the United Kingdom,
To Amnesty International,
To Human Rights Watch,
To international media outlets, and
To all political parties, trade unions and freedom lovers across the world:
The lives of hundreds of Kurdish political prisoners in Turkey must be saved.
We are writing to you regarding the recent wave of mass protests and hunger strikes in Turkey by Kurdish people. 63 Kurdish political prisoners have been on hunger strike for political solution to the Kurdish Question in Turkey since Sept 12th 2012. The hunger strike has been spreading day by day. While by the end of October the number of prisoners on hunger strike reached about 700 in more than 50 prisons, on November 5th spokesperson of the political prisoners declared that from now on 10,000 political prisoners are on hunger strike.
They are striving to gain respect from the Turkish state for their basic human rights that have been suppressed for many decades. These basic rights include such rights as the right to respect for their basic human dignity, which already is enjoyed by people who are not treated like third-class citizens and who do not have to endure degrading discrimination due to their ethnic identity; the right to speak and to write in their mother tongue; and political rights such as the rights to freedom of expression and the right to equal citizenship. In addition, the strikers seek freedom for Abdulla Ocalan, the Kurdish leader of the Workers Party of Kurdistan (PKK) who was kidnapped by the Turkish authorities and has been imprisoned under terrible conditions in Turkish prisons for over 13 years.
Turkey claims to be a modern democratic state while at the same time thousands of Kurds are forced to be Turkish, to renounce their origins, and to live under a false Turkish identity forced upon them violently by the racist, discriminatory laws of the Turkish state. Furthermore, millions of Kurds in Turkey have been subjected to mass murder, displacement, forced relocation, imprisonment, torture, the denial of equal citizenship.
While Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has tried to appear as a saviour to other “Muslim” people in Palestine and Somalia by deploying “humanitarian aid”, thousands of Kurdish people in Turkey have been imprisoned and battered simply for wanting to enjoy the same basic rights and freedoms as the rest of the Turkish population.
Since September 2012, more than 700 Kurdish political prisoners in Turkey have been on hunger strike. Their lives are now in grave danger. Medical professionals in Turkey have warned that deaths will start to occur at any moment due to the prolonged hunger strike.
For decades, the nationalist state of Turkey has refused to recognise the existence of Kurds and has banned the Kurdish language and culture. In addition, any political or even cultural activities by Kurdish people have been met by violence. If Turkey calls itself democratic, why then are its prisons overcrowded with Kurdish political activists, mayor, MP’s, women, children, intellectuals, academics, and journalists? This says a lot about the nature and state of Turkish democracy!
We therefore call upon the United Nations organizations and agencies, the Parliament of the European Union, the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and all nongovernmental organisations worldwide to intervene and to put all necessary pressure on the Turkish regime so that Turkey will respond respectfully to the Kurdish people’s demands and will accept their demands. At the same time, our hearts go out to the political prisoners in Turkey and we call upon them to stop this hunger strike so that their lives will be saved. Too many precious lives already have been lost in the struggle for equality in Turkey.
Sincerely,
The undersigned:
Yanar Mohammed: Women’s rights activist-Iraq
Houzan Mahmoud: Political activist, and women’s rights campaigner-Kurdistan/Iraq
Sarwar Penjwnei: Writter-Kurdistan-Iraq
Shamal Ali: Political Activist Sweden
Helena Pinto, Member of Parliament, Portugal
Dr. Dana Saeed Sofie: Memebr of Kurdistan Parliament-Kurdistan-Iraq
Dr Sarwar Abdulrahman: Memebr of Kurdistan Parliament-Kurdistan-Iraq
Kamal Raouf: Editor in chief of Hawlati newspaper-Kurdistan/Iraq
Naliya Ibrahim: Politician- Sweden
Najiba Mahmood: Journalist and women’s rights activist- Sweden
Venus Faiq: Journalist-Kurdistan
António Avelãs, president of the Great Lisbon Teacher’s Union (SPGL), Portugal
Dr. Choman Hardi: independent writer and academic
Asos Hardi: Owner of Awene Company for Newspaper publishing-Kurdistan-Iraq
Shadi Amin: Political activist-Germany
Halal Rafie: Women’s rights activist-Sweden
Shadi Sadr: lawyer and feminist-UK/Iran
Jamal Xambar: Lawyer & Poet- Australia
Saeed Arman: International Organisation of Iranian Refugees
Paulo Fidalgo, Doctor, President of Communist Renovation, Lisbon, Portugal
Dr Rebwar saeed: Art lecturer University of Sulaimany-Kurdistan-Iraq
Elhamy Elmerghany: Socialist People’s Alliance Party-Egypt
Reza Manochehri: Journalist and Civil society activist-Germany
Jeffery Humfeld: Kansas City, MO, USA
Sara Mohammad: chairwoman of the Never forget Pela and Fadime organisation in Sweden
Tara Jaff: Musician-UK
Jani Diylan: journalist /Broadcaster/ Artist
Bill Weinberg: journalist-U.S.A
Evan Darraji: writer & painter \Iraq
Dr.Eshur Kumar, Psychiatrist (Pakistan)
Zafar Imam Writer/Columist (Pakistan)
Dr.Haresh Kumar: Psychiatrist and Activist, Editor of Monthly class Struggle (Pakistan)
Mohamed Khan Ahmadani: Trade Unionist (Watan Dost Mazdor Fedration), Sindh Pakistan
Jilah Bakhshayesh: Political activist for anti-racist and anti-discrimination issues
Suhail Zahawi: Writer and political activist- Erbil Kurdistan/ Iraq
Shamal Aba Rash: Actor-Kurdistan-Iraq
Koband develeopmet-Political Organsiation-Kurdistan
Akam Noaman Halabjaey: Journalist and student-Kurditan-Iraq
Fatah Zaxoye: Political observer-Kurdistan-Iraq
Twana Omar: Deputy Editor in chief of Honya Magazine-Kurdistan-Iraq
Reza Rauf: University lecturer-Austria
Dr.Zafer Fehmi Yörük: Izmir, Turkey
Khanim Rahim Latif: Women’s rights activist-Kurdistan/Iraq
Awder Abdulrahman Rahim: Student-Kurdistan-Iraq
Emad Ali: Political observer-Kurdistan-Iraq
Hiva Panahi: Writer & Professor of political & social sciences -Pantios Universty-Greece
Rebwar Hassan: University Lecturer -Stockholm – Sweden
Qubady Jalizada: Poet and retired Judge-Kurdistan-Iraq
Dr. Nadim Al-Jawahiri: Med.Doc. Vienna, Austria
Qasim Marzani-Lecturer -university of Salahaddin –Kurdistan-Iraq
Soran Ramazan: president of the Federation of civil society organisations in Kurdistan-Iraq
Muslih Irwani: Lecturer and Researcher, Lincoln-UK
Dr.Satya Prakash: Film Maker-Mumbai-India
Hiwa Said Salaim: Memebr of Politcal beurau of Kurdistan Toilers party
Head office of the General Student Union in Kurdistan-Iraq
Shamal Raof: Civil society activist-Kurdistan
Lanja Abdulla: Journalist-Kurdistan-Iraq
Soraya Falah: researcher & writer –USA
Hasan Mustafa: Journalist-Kurdistan
Ali Mahmood: political activist-Kurdistan/Iraq
Jaza Hama Salih Wali: chairman of Sociologists and psychologists association-Kurdistan
Rebwar Hamid: Cameraman and human rights activist London-UK
Dana Naqishbendi: Freelance Journalist-Vienna – Austria
Hama Rashid Heres: Writer and theatre actor Canada
Maria Hagberg, Women’s Rights Activist, member of coordination IFE- EFI www.efi-ife.org
Kit Larsen Hughes: Retired teacher-Stockholm, Sweden
Lilian halls-french. Co-president European feminist Initiative IFE-EFI . Paris-France
Roman Z. Baban: Journalist-UK
Nicola Stott: Centre for women’s studies-University of York-UK
Muhsin Kareem: Political personality-Kurdistan-Iraq
Kazhal Nory: Civil society activist and women’s rights campaigner-Holland
Renaud Romagnan: IT Worker in Astrophysics-France
Nicolas Dessaux: Solidarité Irak-France
Liam McNulty: Alliance for Workers’ Liberty, London
Mark Manning, maintenance worker, Seattle
Saira Zuberi: Canada
Esther Townsend: Workers’ Liberty and University of East London Students’ Union
Martyn Hudson: workers liberty
Bill Henning: Communication Workers Association Local 1180-New York, NY
Salah Raouf: Musician-Germany
Rabab El-Mahdi, University Professor
Martin Lööf, Vänsterpartiet, Sweden
Gona Saeed: women’s rights activist-UK
Xulfi Mahesar: Political activist-Pakistan
Raoof Sofie: Accountant-Nottingham-UK
Rashid Ali: (Tabqati Jidojahed Marxist)
Dr.Satyaparkash Gupta: Film maker , Mumbai India.
Dr.Ravi Kumar: (Young Droctor’s Association ) SINDH
Dr.Kailash Kumar: Political activist and writter.(Sindh, Pakistan)
Dr.Jae Deep: Dubai
Monika Roli: Sweden
Ata Mufty: London-UK
Tanya Mohammed: Editor in chief of Blesa Monthly Magazine-Kurdistan
Khandan Mohamed Jaza: Writter and women’s rights activist-Norway
Koshan Ali Zaman: MA student in international relations- Kurdistan
Kader Nadir: civil society acitivst-Sweden
Hawar Bazyan: Journalist-Sweden
Dr Yousif Zangana: UK
Fouad Qaradaghi: Writer –Kurdistan-Iraq
Stivan Shamzini: Editor in chief of shapol magazine-Kurdistan-Iraq
Twana Taha: Coordinator of the office of today’s vision for journalist observation-Kurdistan
Faraidon Bewar: Social researcher and journalist-Kurdistan-Iraq
Rzgar Hama Rashid: Writer and theatre actor-Canada
Nala Hasan: Writer and poet-Canada
Nihad Jami: Writer and theatre actor-Kurdistan-Kurdistan
Shahin Shahlaye: Stockholm-Sweden
Bawan Serdesht: Student at university of Sheffield-UK
Mozafer Ahmadi: Political Activist-
Yadgar Shekh Islami: Political Activist-
Natalia Caruso: NYC-USA
Niaz Art – Artist-Amsterdam-Holland
Thomas Schmidinger: Political scientist- Vienna-Austria
Nat Williams: Poet-UK
Yifat Susskind: NYC-USA
Kristofer Lundberg: Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna Göteborg Sweden
Niyaz Abdulla: Civil society activist-Kurdistan-Iraq
Aram Jamal: Civil society activist-Kurdistan-Iraq
Dr.Yasin Rashid Hasan: University lecturer-Kurdistan-Iraqn
Jahangir Abdollahi- Member of Kurdish Human Rights Association-EU
Sana Sleman Asaf: Journalist-Kurdistan-Iraq
Sozan Amin: Iraq’s committee for Women’s Right
Tara Taufiq: Iraq’s committee for Women’s Right
Suna Kose, Journalist-UK
Brochot, Hayange: labour activist-CGT France
Lori M. Rob-Connecticut, USA
Afrasyab Grami: Journalist-Germany
Malayka Alam Holi: Civil society activist- Germany
Twana Hama Rashid: Musician-Kurdistan-Iraq
Sophie Boiszeau: Initiative Communiste Ouvrière-France
Aram Osmani: Journalist-France
Sacha Ismael: Alliance for Workers Liberty
Pat Murphy: National Union of Teachers national executive and international committee
Daniel Cooper:University of London Union vice president
Janine Booth: RMT rail union national executive (pc)
Karwan Omar: Artist-Dancer-Switzerland
Shadan Fuad: Actress-UK
Avin Fatah: Writter-Kurdistan-Iraq
Dilshad Hafiz: Political activist-UK
Behman Taher Nariman: Journalist-Kurdistan
Fakhradin Tahir: Writter and Journalist-Sweden
Samera Ahmed: Political activist-UK
Aras Nuri Ahmad Taha: Human rights activist-Germany
Chnur Akbarpor: Artist
Fatima Anamaghi: psychologist, writer and translator
Aryan Omed Arif: Journalist-Norway
Nuno Manuel Tito de Morais Ramos de Almeida: journalist. Lisbon – Portugal
Stare Arif: Civil society activist-Kurdistan
Farideh Rezai: Women’s rights activist-Sweden
Shahla Dabaghi: women’s rights activist-Sweden
Özz Nûjen: actor/comedian-Stockholm, Sweden
Terry Moon: Journalist, Chicago, Ill, USA
Joana Vicente Baginha: MA Student, London
Deanne Rauscher: Journalist Sweden
Jude Jackson: Leicester-UK
Rezan Saleh – Artist – Belgium
Lukmani Haci Kerim; Writter-UK
Heather Shaw: Education worker, Sheffield UK
Dr. Selah Germian: Psychologist – Australia
Luis Miguel de Almeida Carvalho: Journalist- Portugal
Naskah Zada: Journalist Washington D.C
Yadgar Fayaq: Journalsit at NRT-Kurdistan-Iraq
Katherine Natanel: Student – London
Media Zahawy: Health and social care Advisor-UK
Alan Mohtadi: National board of education Sweden
Berivan Sindi: Project Executive- Sweden
Sores Armanc: Project Manager- Sweden
Dilara Cetinkaya, Student -Sweden
Avan Faris Jaff- Journalist-Kurdistan
Yekbun Alp: International affairs board left party in Uppsala
Mohammad Mahmoodzadeh: Student at Sheffield University
Elena Budakci: Psychiatric Nurse-Sweden
Dilshad Questani: Artist-Paris-France
Kalé Karim: Worker- Switzerland
Aven Aziz: Writer and Journalist-Sweden
Alan Pary: Poet- Denmark
Edris Ali: Poet-Kurdistan-Iraq
Ophelia Benson: writer, Seattle-USA
Mouloud Swara: Political Activist-UK
Faraidon Arif: Writer -Kurdistan
Masoud Binandeh: Lecturer-Sociologist-Kurdistan-Iran
Özz Nujen: Stand-up comedian -Sweden
Shilan Saidi: Journalist –Sweden
Srud Faruq Barzingi: Student-Kurdistan-UK
Twana Ali: Worker-Switzerland
Berivan Dosky: Councilor, Iraqi Embassy, Syria
Horen Gharib: Theatre actor- Kurdistan
ASO Xanm Hamasalih: Poet- Germany
Mahmood Rash mahmood: Kurdistan-Iraq
Karzan Ali: Teacher, Bromsgrove, UK
Sirwan Jalal: Journalist-Kurdistan-Iraq
Sangar Salaye: ART of music, Holland
Nia Amen: Human rights activist-Germany
Sarwar Saeed: Social worker
Harem Karem: Lecturer, UK.
Kathy Black: union leader, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Saleh Mirawdaly: writer-UK
Bakr Abdulrahman: Cartoonist-Kurdistan-Iraq
Ala Ali: Women’s rights activist- Kurdistan-Iraq
Soreya Tahir: London-UK
Bahman Omar –Journalist-Kurdistan-Iraq
Bandi Ali – Author – Darmstadt , Germany
Ranj Hejar: Writer / journalist-UK
Sarkaw Ameen: manager, Oslo-Norway
Saman Hama Gareeb –journalist-Kurdistan-Iraq
Haval Nazhad Abbas- lawyer- Kurdistan-Iraq
Bora Shamlo – Photographer – London-UK
Soran Omar Mhealden: Design Technical Manager- Sweden-Gothenburg
Shanta Sultana: Journalist/ London-UK
Roman Zagros: Media Analyst, UK
Ezat Malaky: Accountant, Civil Rights Activist; Vancouver, Canada.
Avin Mirawdeli: PhD Student-London
Chnoor Hama Amin: -Independent personality
Parez Sardar: MSc Social Work – Lincoln-UK
Azad Bakir: Political activist- London-UK
Khedir R Khedir: University professor, USA
Adnan Gily: Political observer-Sweden
Yassin Abdullah Rash: Oslo-Norway
Roshna Hama Abdullah: Oslo, Norway
Saryas Qaradaghi: Writer-UK
Nahro Allaey: political activist-Kurdistan
Saman Faraj: Freelance writer& Student at the University Of Sheffield, England
Harez Hassan: Finland
Avin Kakay-belgium
Raper Osman Ozeri: Activist-Kiev- Ukraine
Nehro Shawqi: Kurdistan/Iraq
Hersh Yasin: Poet-Kurdistan/Iraq
Zryan Kaka: Student –Derby- UK
Goshi Baneiy – Civil society activist-Holland
Sherif Kashkoli: Austria
Honar Tofiq: Writter-Denmark
Kochar Namo: Journalist-Sweden
Mzhda Kamil: Kurdistan
Nihad Herki: Journalist-Kurdistan
Nahid Mokri: Women’s/human’s rights activist-Sweden
Farman Sdeiq: Journalist-Kurdistan
Hiwa Barzinji: Journalist-Kurdistan
Aziz Rashid Hariri: Writter and Journalist-Kurdistan-Iraq
Karzan Osman: Journalist-Kurdistan
Rebwar Saeed: Political activist-Kurdistan
Kajal Ali Hamabor: Cologne-Germany
Payze Ahmad: Writer and activist-UK
Mohamed Goran: Writter and journalist-Kurdistan
Mohammed Fariq Hassan: Writter
Hemn Hama Jaza: Poet and Musician-Kurdistan
Khabat Aref Marouf: Nurse-Sweden
Shwan Khorshid: Writer and journalist
Arsalan Mahmoud: writer and journalist- Kurdistan
Hawraman Ali: writer-Finland
Nazhad Siwaily: Canada
Chia Renwar: IT-consultant, Sweden
Hama Kaka Rash: poet and writer-Sweden
Kamil Ahmad: Artist-Germany
Trifa Aziz: Germany
Fariba Mohamedi: Journalist-Kurdistan
Baxteir Sharazwri: Writer-Kurdistan
Khulia Hussein: Women’s rights activist and poet-UK
Shakar Aziz: Pharmacist-UK
Omar Gholami: Journalist-Kurdistan
Salar Amin Mardan: Kerkuk-Kurdistan
Rebaz Musatafa: Writer and translator: Kurdistan-Iraq
Habiba Hama Salih: House wife-Kurdistan-Iraq
Niga Ahmad: UK
Nyan Ahmad: UK
Mihraban Ali Rasoul: Finland
Nawzad Sherdil: Worker-Canada
Alan Kaka: Lawyer-Canada
Dyar Halabjae: Poet-Kurdistan-Iraq
Aso Khalid: translator- Kurdistan-Iraq
Pshtiwan Latif: Civil Society acitivst-Kurdistan-Iraq
Kirmanj Gundi: University lecturer-USA
Shahla Rostam: Finland
Sarkhel Hashm: Journalist-Kurdistan-Iraq
Dr Najih Golpi: Halabja-Kurdistan
Arsalan Rahman: Journalist-Kurdistan-Iraq
Hiwa Jamail: Journalist-Kurdistan
Sirwan Saeed: Member of Gorran-Movement for Change-UK
Goran Aziz Hariri: Writer
Lawzha Jawad: Women’s Rights activist-Denmark
Ramona Fransson: Author – Sweden
Jirwan Nuri: Media studies student-Kurdistan
Ara Nasimi: Media studies student-Sweden
Ronak Shwani: Writer and civil society activist-Sweden
Ibrahim Zahawy: London-UK
Rawzia Roustam: London- UK
Parosh Muharam Mhamad: Sweden
Ayub Faek: Canada
Lailan Maronsi: journalist
Kazm Mahmoud Shamirani: Student-Kurdistan-Iraq
Azad Aziz Mohedin Mawati: Political activist-UK
Sara Omar: Lawyer and poet-Denmark
Juma Muhamad Kakamand: Student-Finland
Niaz Bayati: Artist-Denmark
Farok Karim: Political veteran- Germany
Diyar Kamil: Student- Manchester- UK
Rebaz Muhamad: Switzerland
Mahmoud Mohamed Osman: Writer-Holland
Glena Kurdi: Student, London, United Kingdom
Hawder Khthir: Student English Department – Kurdistan-Iraq
Goran Dukani: Journalist-USA
Aras Rashid: Political activist-Canada
Maryam Abdulrahman: Women’s rights activist-Canada
Hasan Salih: Translator: Sweden
Khabat Marf: Austria
Taeb Baker: Austria
Rzgar Ibrahim: Kerkuk-Kurdistan-Iraq
Dana Sabir: Peterborough-UK
Shapol Said: Hairdresser-UK
Darya Said Student-UK
Askol Said: House wife-UK
Shaswar Baban: London- UK.
Tavga Hassan: Student- London-UK
Tayeb Hooshiar-poet-Germany
Tola Marzani: Student- England
Zhwan Ahmed Saeed: Journalist-Kurdistan-Iraq
Gaziza Ghaderi: Finland
Kawan Kadir: Artist-Canada
Abdull Qeregoli: Civil society activist-Swenden
Kaywan Hawrami: Journalist-Kurdistan
Seido Davood Ali: MA in Clinical psychology, translator –Kurdistan-Iraq
Khalil Ahmad: Student-UK
Herdi Ali: Interpreter and Artist-UK
Salah Fathulla: Political activist-Finlad
Mansour Hafid: Lawyer-Sweden
Nasik Hussein: Poet Canada
Sabah Raji: political activist-Norway
Banaz Saleh: Student-Norway
Ardalan Ahmad: Journalist-Kurdistan
Shahram Nameq: Polytechnic leacturer-Kurdistan/Iraq
Gulstan Saeed: Nottingham-UK
Stefania Pizzotti: Milan- Italy
Vian Meriwani: Hannover – German
Awara Nadr Rashid: Leeds -UK
Kaywan Karim London, United Kingdom
Helime Rasuli: Women’s rights activist-Kurdistan-Iraq
Rommel Mamand: Labourer-UK