Leyla Güven, a democratically elected Kurdish MP to the Turkish parliament, has been on hunger strike for over 120 days and is nearing death.
Her hunger strike calls for an end to the isolation of jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan.
The leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK) has been held mostly in solitary confinement by Turkey since 1999.
Over 300 Kurds are now on hunger strike in Turkish prisons, Kurdistan, Europe and North America. In Strasbourg, 14 Kurds have been on indefinite hunger strike since 17 December to pressure the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) to fulfil its duties and pay a visit to check on the situation of Öcalan. In Newport, Wales, Imam Sis has been on hunger strike since 17 December in Newport.
The international campaign for freedom for Öcalan and reconvening peace talks between the Turkish government and the PKK has been supported by the TUC, Jeremy Corbyn, Plaid Cymru, Mairead Maguire, Wole Soyinka, Desmond Tutu, Gerry Adams, Noam Chomsky, Professor Angela Davis and many others. Many believe that freedom for Öcalan is a precondition for a peaceful resolution of the Kurdish question in Turkey.
We call upon the UK government to press the Turkish government to end the isolation of Öcalan.
Mark Campbell Co-Chair, Kurdistan Solidarity Campaign UK
Adam Price Leader, Plaid Cymru
Darren Williams Labour NEC and secretary, Welsh Labour Grassroots
Peter Hain Labour, House of Lords
Mark Serwotka President, TUC
Anthony Slaughter Leader, Wales Green party
Leanne Wood AM Plaid Cymru
Marianne Owens NEC, Public & Commercial Services Union
Cerith Griffiths Wales secretary, Fire Brigades Union
Amrit Wilson South Asia Solidarity Group
Lindsey German National convenor, Stop the War Coalition
Allison Hulmes National director, British Association of Social Workers Cymru
Osian Rhys Chair, Cymdeithas yr Iaith/Welsh Language Society
This is the current list of people who have signed the letter/statement -
Adam Price, Leader, Plaid Cymru
Anna McMorrin MP, Labour, Cardiff North
Darren Williams, Labour NEC and WEC Secretary, Welsh Labour Grassroots
Lord Peter Hain, Labour
Mark Serwotka, President, TUC
Leanne Wood AM, Plaid
Anthony Slaughter, Leader, Wales Green Party
Shavanah Taj, Public & Commercial Services Union National Officer
Marianne Owens, NEC, Public & Commercial Services Union
Lindsey German, National Convenor, Stop the War Coalition
Mark Campbell, Co-chair, Kurdistan Solidarity Campaign
Amrit Wilson, South Asia Solidarity Group
Jill Gough, National Secretary, CND Cymru
Professor Michael Lavalette, Liverpool Hope University
Allison Hulmes, National Director for Wales, British Association of Social Workers Cymru
Cerith Griffiths, Wales Secretary, Fire Brigades Union
Belinda Loveluck Edwards, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Labour, Vale of Glamorgan
Rhun Ap Iorweth AM, Deputy Leader, Plaid
Llyr Gruffyd AM, Plaid
Delyth Jewell AM, Plaid
Sian Gwenllian AM, Plaid
Helen Mary Jones AM, Plaid
Bethan Sayed AM, Plaid
Dr Dai Lloyd AM, Plaid
Osian Rhys, Cadeirydd, Cymdeithas yr Iaith (Chair, Welsh Language Society)
Dani Thomas, Co-ordinator DiEM25 Cymru
Emma Garson, Branch Secretary UNISON Cardiff County
Mike Jenkins, Writer, Co-editor, Red Poets
Jon Luxton, Labour, Mayor of Penarth (personal capacity)
Cllr Angela Thomas, Labour, Penarth Town Council
Cllr Ellie Evans, Labour, Penarth Town Council
Fflur Arwel, Co-Chair, Plaid Ifanc
Sioned Treharne, Co-Chair, Plaid Ifanc
Morgan Bowler-Brown, Treasurer, Plaid Ifanc
Maggie Simpson, vice chair, Wales Labour Grassroots
Sandy Clubb, Undod
Rhys Mills, Undod
Greg Cullen, Playwright, Shock n Awe Theatre Company
Dani Thomas, Co-ordinator DiEM25 Cymru
Ramon Corria, Secretary Communist Party of Britain, Cardiff Branch
Jenny Marie Charles, Wales Equality Alliance
Len Arthur, Left Unity Wales
Pete Wentland , Founder Calais Refugee Solidarity Bristol
Tim Evans, Secretary, Llanelli 1911 Rail Strike Commemoration Committee; Convenor, Swansea Live Poets Society
Dr Renata Medeiros-Mirra, Cardiff University
Professor Sue Williams, Visual Artist and Senior Lecturer in Fine Art, Fine Art & Media School, Swansea College of Art, UWTSD
Jane Harries, Cymru dros Heddwch/Wales for Peace
Sue Leader, Branch Secretary, Cardiff & Vale Unite Community
Alan Short, Branch Chair, Cardiff & Vale Unite Community
Dr Llion Wigley, Secretary, Cardiff Branch, Cymdeithas y Cymod (Fellowship of Reconciliation)
Elin Davies, YesCaerdydd
Richard Huw Morgan, YesPontypridd
Jonny Jones, Queen Mary UCU member
Neil Rogall UCU (retired member)
Derek Wall, Parish councillor Winkfield Berkshire
Geraldine O'Connell Warrington South CLP
Sandy Clubb, Undod (Radical Independence Campaign)
Rhys Mills, Undod (Radical Indepenence Campaign)
Ben Gwalchmai, Labour for Indy Wales
Christopher Roberts, Welsh Labour Representation Group
Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party
Lotte Reimer, Aberystwyth Peace and Justice Network
Nichola Davies, Caerphilly and Iswlyn Welsh Labour Grassroots
Helen Erasmus, Caerphilly and Islwyn Welsh Labour Grassroots
Annie Gwillym Walker islwyn CLP Crosskeys branch
Rob Hoveman, Unite the Community & Central European University
Dee Murphy, Swansea Palestine Community Link & Swansea Action for Palestine
Debbie Witts - senior designer at The Olive Grove Design Team, Cardiff
Sheila Jones, Unite Community member
Chris Gingell, Conservationist and humanitarian campaigner
Lyndsey Halliday, Cardiff Extinction Rebellion
Maggie Ravenscroft, Caerphilly and Islwyn WLG/Unite member
Geno Sulano, Welsh artist
Annie Gwillym Walker islwyn CLP Crosskeys branch
Julie Dixon Islwyn CLP
Dorian Dixon Islwyn CLP
Sandra Holliday, RCT Welsh Labour Grassroots
Jennifer Fletcher - Cardiff resident and international development worker/consultant
Mireille Escande de Messieres, Aberystwyth
Anna Monro, Pembrokeshire
Matt Rhys-Roberts, Wrexham
Linda Jensen, Cardiff
Cathy Wilson, Liverpool
Jackie Shellard, Bridgend
Jeff Hurford, Bridgend
Emily Trahair, Aberystwyth
Debbie Francis, Cardiff
Kristina Hedges, Cardiff
Anna Forster, Rhondda
Helen Pendry, Macynlleth
Ken Barker, Cardiff
Sheelagh Llewellyn, Cardiff
Pat Gregory, Cardiff
Andy Chyba, Bridgend
Sian Gale, Cardiff
Jenny Howell, Cardiff
Sam Jenkins, Cardiff
Andree Morgan Andrews, Cardiff
Alice Shing, Cardiff
Emma Mato, Cardiff
Kirsty-Marie Jones, Cardiff
Madhu Khanna-Davies, Cardiff
Selma James, Global Women’s Strike, London
Nina Lopez, Global Women’s Strike, London
NDM6999 Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)
To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:
1. Notes that, whilst foreign affairs is a matter currently reserved to the UK Government and Parliament, Section 62 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 provides that “The Welsh Ministers, the First Minister and the Counsel General may make appropriate representations about any matter affecting Wales”.
2. Recognises the substantial Kurdish community in Wales.
3. Notes that a resident of Wales - İmam Sis, a young Kurdish man - is on an indefinite, non-alternating hunger strike as of 17 December 2018, which was initiated to protest the isolation of the Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan who has been imprisoned by Turkey since 1999 under conditions which are understood to contravene the Turkish state’s legal obligations in relation to human rights.
4. Notes that hunger strikes are taking place across Europe and the world, including by Leyla Güven, an elected member of the Turkish Parliament.
5. Notes that Turkey is a signatory to several international human rights treaties, including the European Convention of Human Rights as a member of the Council of Europe.
6. Expresses its concern at the reasons behind the hunger strikes.
7. Recognises that the ultimate aim of the hunger strikes is to see a peaceful, political solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey.
8. Affirms the importance that human rights obligations are upheld in Turkey.
9. Calls on the Welsh Government, on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales, to write to the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment calling for the committee to visit Imrali Prison to assess the conditions of Abdullah Öcalan.
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