Whether ordinary or political, all arrestees and prisoners have the right to humane treatment in detention.
We want to draw attention to the unlawful, inhumane and arbitrary practices taking place in prisons in Turkey. It is because of these issues that there are a series of hunger strikes continuing for over 40 days in many prisons across Turkey.
It is not possible for us to accept the persistent indifference of the Ministry of Justice to these serious issues in its own field of responsibility.
As members of parliament, we have no personal demand whatsoever. We are on hunger strike to draw attention to the widespread hunger strikes and problems in prisons, to remind the Ministry of Justice of its responsibility and in particular, to protest the arbitrary practices of the Edirne Prison Director.
Selahattin Demirtaş
Peoples’ Democratic Party Co-Chair
Edirne Prison
31 March 2017