• EL - ελληνικά
  • EN - English
Parliamentary question - E-002753/2017Parliamentary question
E-002753/2017

Hunger strikes in Turkish prisons

Question for written answer E-002753-17
to the Commission
Rule 130
Costas Mavrides (S&D)

Based on an information note sent by the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) on 6 April 2017, the hunger strike protests of political prisoners in Turkish penitentiary institutions have reached a critical stage.

Currently, about one hundred political prisoners are continuing indefinite and non-alternate hunger strikes in eight different penitentiary institutions. 34 of the protesting prisoners are women. The protest was initiated in Izmir Şakran High Security Prison on 15 February 2017 to draw attention to gross human rights violations and inhumane living conditions in prisons (e.g. severe restrictions on visits by their lawyers and family and communication with the outside world, extensive torture, solitary confinement, exile, unannounced ward searches, the seizure of items of personal property, and restrictions on access to TV and radio broadcasts, newspapers, books and letters addressed to them) and the Erdoğan-AKP government’s renewed politics of violence and war in relation to the Kurdish issue.

The protests soon spread to other prisons across Turkey. In addition, political prisoners have been carrying out alternating solidarity hunger strikes lasting five days in several other facilities since 15 March 2017. A relevant note with more detailed information on the issue is being forwarded to the Commission.

Has the Commission been informed about the events mentioned above?

What immediate actions does the Commission intend to take, given the urgency of the situation and the fact that Turkey is an EU candidate country?