STRUSBURG, — Helen Flautre co-chair of Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission visited the Kurdish hunger strikers in Strasburg yesterday 20 April, urging them to end their action; “we need you in the struggle for democracy”, she told the strikers.
Fifteen Kurdish political activists have been on hunger strike since 1st March but their campaign has been largely ignored by both the European media and the European institutions.
In her visit on yesterday Flautre spoke with the strikers at the scene and remarked that the Commission has urged the Turkish state to make amendments in the “unacceptable” anti-terror law in line with the intense arrests in Turkey.
It should be noted that by designating the Kurdish resistance movement led by the PKK as “Terrorist”, the EU has so far given a green light to the Turkish state to suppress the Kurds.
Flautre however remarked that they share the same vision with Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) concerning the constitutional solution of the Kurdish question and localization, argued that European Council institutions, CPT in particular, have been “closely interested” in the hunger strike in Strasbourg.
Flautre pointed out that they were mainly concerned over the state of health of strikers and noted that they needed all citizens to take part in the strike to lead to a democratic change, but “healthfully”, she added.
Flautre asked strikers to make a decision to end their action and added; “Because we need you”.