DİYARBAKIR - Nizamettin Kaplan, father of Abdulhalik Kaplan who joined the hunger strike on his birthday, said: " We are in Ramadan. Steps must be taken before the hearts of mothers hurt". Mother Aysel Kaplan said: "Can they sit home doing nothing if their children were hungry?"

 

The hunger strike Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co chair Leyla Güven initiated left behind 6 months.  The hunger strikes began after her on December 16, spreaded to all prisons on March 1. 15 prisoners from 4 different prisons turned their hunger strike action into a death fast protesting the silence of the government. 

 

Abdulhalik Kaplan who joined the hunger strike on March 8, is amongst the 15 prisoners who turned their hunger strike into a death fast. Kaplan who was born on April 30, 1986, started the death fast on his birthday. 

 

Kaplan joined YPG in 2014 when ISIS attacked Kobané. Kaplan who was injured in an ISIS attack a year later, was treated in Turkey and was taken under custody while he was being treated. Kaplan was sentenced to 23 years because he was a member of YPG.

 

Father Nizamettin Kaplan (62) who stated that waiting the death of his son is incredibly painful, said: "He joined YPG by his own will. He started the death fast by his own will as well. 20 million people considers Öcalan a leader. We salut our son's decision and his resistance." Father Kaplan who stated that Öcalan's constitutional right is being violated, said their children started the death fast to secure his rights and made a call for the demands to be met. 

 

Mother Aysel Kaplan (57), who said "Like all the mothers, the fact that he is on a death fast tears my heart out. Their only demand is the law to be applied. The demands must be met. Why don't the government take any steps? Mr. Öcalan must be heard. This is the way to peace and solution. I have not been able to eat since he started the hunger strike, how can I eat? Would they sit at home waiting the death of their children , while their children are hungry? How can we remain silent?"