Two members of a hunger-striking Turkish folk-rock music group have called on the authorities to fulfill a series of demands and public to support their struggle by attending their trial on February 14.
Helin Bolek and Ibrahim Gokcek, the members of Grup Yorum staged a hunger strike in May last year and have turned it into a death fast 17 and 34 days ago respectively.
They are calling on the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to take necessary steps in line with their demands, including the release of their jailed band members.
The group, known for its music with incorporated political themes, also demands all terror-related charges that the group members are facing to be dropped.
A total of 11 members of the music group have been arrested since the state of emergency was declared by the AKP government on the charge of being members of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) which is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara.
“From the very beginning, there is a policy [of the AKP] based on silencing and intimidating Grup Yorum. However, with our latest move [death fast], we negated totally this [AKP crackdown],” Bolek told the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya (MA) news agency on Tuesday.
Released from the prison in November under judicial supervision, Bolek continues the hunger strike in Istanbul, calling for unity and solidarity against the Turkish state’s crackdown.
“No power can take a stand against the right [party]. We need to form public opinion in order for our demands to be fulfilled quickly. To do so, we have to express ourselves [our struggles] well,” Bolek said.
Bolek called on the public to voice the group’s struggle against the state crackdown, recalling the responsibility of all in that regard.
“With our act [of resistance], we meant to call that ‘the responsibility of this process is on your shoulder’. It is not a call for [help for] ourselves. In fact, the issue is to do something for [public] yourselves against the injustice,” added Bolek.
Answering questions by Independent Turkish news portal through his lawyer, the inmate Gokcek said they had been going through a destructive process imposed by the ruling AKP.
“They [the AKP] tell us ‘don’t make such an art, for public and for public’s favor’. That is what they urge us to do. We have been put on the terror lists. Which one of our moves is terror?” Gokcek asked.
Six members are on the wanted ‘terrorist list’ of the Turkish interior ministry. The group demands the removal of the six from the list.
“We [only] staged concerts for the public free of charge. We voiced the struggles of poor people, miners, and workers. That is why we have been put on the terror list,” the inmate argued.
With their death fast, they were, in fact, carrying out the last thing to be done, Gokcek said.
“In response to the massive attack [by the AKP], I am trying to be a barrier against it with my great act [death fast],” Gokcek added.
Another demand from the group is for the government to remove the ban on concerts. The group’s annual Independent Turkey concerts have been banned since 2015, but they performed a concert online on July 1, 2018.
The latest banned concert of the group was in November when the participants gathered for the event were subjected to police violence, with 18 people being detained.
Idil Cultural Center where the band conducts its activities has been raided by police many times, a practice that the group deems an attempt to terrorize them by the AKP government.
The group members, including the hunger-striking Gookcek and Bolek, will stand trial before the Istanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court on February 14.
The group released a video titled “a letter (from Helin) to Ibrahim” in its official Twitter account, showing Bolek’s solidarity message to her jailed friend Gokcek.
“Tyrants [the AKP and the prison administration] who threatened to put an end [to your death fast] by force, are afraid of the millennial folk art [the group’s songs]. I realize again that how our struggle is based on rightful grounds,” said Bolek.
Following months of sustaining a hunger strike, Bolek suffers from osteitis and cannot sleep properly at night, she said.
Despite her suffering, Bolek was feeling the strength derived from their resistance against the state crackdown, MA quoted her as saying on Tuesday.
There has been no response from the Turkish officials in terms of their demands so far, Bolek added.
Outcry over Turkey’s ban on protest concert and detention of participants
The post Hunger-striking band members call for release and support from public appeared first on IPA NEWS.
from IPA NEWS https://ipa.news/2020/02/05/hunger-striking-band-members-call-for-release-and-support-from-public/
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