Chicago, IL, USA - Nov 5, 2012 - Jailed Kurdish prisoners on hunger strike in Turkey may start to die within the next 10 days, Turkey's main medical association warned on Thursday, saying the prime minister's dismissal of the protest as a "show" risked hardening their resolve.

The hunger strike entered its 51st day on Nov 1 Thursday, with some 776 prisoners in 66 jails refusing food in dozens of prisons across Turkey, demanding the government grant greater Kurdish minority rights and better conditions for their jailed leader.

On September 12, 2012; sixty three Kurdish political prisoners have started an indefinite and irreversible hunger strike in 7 Turkish Prisons.
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There are now at least about 776 Kurdish political prisoners on an indefinite hunger strike in 66 prisons. Imprisoned members of parliament elected BDP Sirnak deputies Selma Irmak, Faisal Sariyildiz, Mardin Deputy Gulseren Yildirim and Mayor of Van Bekir Kaya are also among hunger strikers.

Hunger strikers demands provisions to use mother language in education and the public sphere; the removal of obstacles preventing imprisoned Kurdish leader from negotiating in peace talks with the Turkish state as well as respect for the fundamental rights of Kurdish people.

While enormous public support; concerns of human rights organizations; Peace and Democratic Party in Turkey as well as diaspora have been outpouring; 51 days later with prisoners entered a critical stage in their irreversible action, the silence of media continues and the Turkish government refused act upon these basic demands. Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have raised concerns about Turkey’s past record of violating human rights and oppression of its Kurdish minority.

Family members of strikers and concerned people have been taking turn to wait in front of the prisons to force government to act upon this mass resistance.

In solidarity with Kurdish Political Prisoner's on hunger strike, Kurds are staging demonstrations in various North American cities to bring these very reasonable demands to the public domain.

As Kurdish Cultural Center of Chicago, we are urging you to support by contacting your representative, human rights organizations; United Nations and European Union Human Rights Commissions; Turkish Consulate and Embassies near you as well as Turkish government to pressure Turkey to meet its obligation honoring International treaties that she is a signatory and demands of hunger strikers to prevent a loss of life. Please take action now before it is too late.

Kurdish Cultural Center of Chicago - http://www.kurdishcenter.org