Turkish revolutionary on hunger strike
John Cats | 22.08.2000 20:48
On Aug. 18, Turkish political activist Fehriye Erdal, who
has been held by the Belgian authorities since September
1999, resumed her 33-day hunger strike after suspending it
one day.
has been held by the Belgian authorities since September
1999, resumed her 33-day hunger strike after suspending it
one day.
Belgian officials had promised to hold her under house
arrest at an unpublished location, but her address had
already been leaked to the media. This put her in danger of
kidnapping or murder by Turkish agents, who consider her a
dangerous revolutionary.
Erdal was arrested on September 26, 1999 in Belgium when the
Belgian police discovered a few firearms in the apartment
she happened to be in by chance. The Turkish authorities
accused her of being a member of an illegal organization,
the DHKC-P.
Although she was acquitted in a Belgian court, and last May
26 the Belgian government decided not to extradite her to
Turkey, the Belgian Minister of Internal Affairs decided to
keep her in prison for the "national security of Belgium."
The Belgian State Council of Justice-something like the U.S.
Supreme Court-ruled she should not be extradited, neither to
Turkey, nor to a third country. and should indeed be
acquitted. Still the Ministry of Internal Affairs insists on
extraditing her to a third country, that is, not to Turkey,
and to keep her in prison until then.
She has been on hunger strike since July 14 and is
determined to continue this action until she is released.
Fifteen other people joined her hunger strike in solidarity
on Aug. 5.
She demands the right to choose where she will stay in
Belgium so she herself can arrange its defense against her
enemies in the Turkish state. In 1999, Turkish agents
kidnapped Abdullah Ocalan, head of the Workers Party of
Kurdistan, from Kenya and brought him to prison in Turkey.
An attorney for Erdal, Jan Fermon, told the Belgian weekly
newspaper Solidaire that "in this case the Belgian state is
entirely following the Turkish policy of defining all
communist activity as criminal activity."
Fermon continued, "Finally, Turkey and Belgium have accords
through their relationship to NATO to fight against internal
enemies (democratic and communist militant workers'
movements). In the Erdal case, we see the direct application
of these accords."
It is possible to send messages of solidarity to Erdal at
Fehriye@mail.com.
--John Catalinotto (from Workers' World)
arrest at an unpublished location, but her address had
already been leaked to the media. This put her in danger of
kidnapping or murder by Turkish agents, who consider her a
dangerous revolutionary.
Erdal was arrested on September 26, 1999 in Belgium when the
Belgian police discovered a few firearms in the apartment
she happened to be in by chance. The Turkish authorities
accused her of being a member of an illegal organization,
the DHKC-P.
Although she was acquitted in a Belgian court, and last May
26 the Belgian government decided not to extradite her to
Turkey, the Belgian Minister of Internal Affairs decided to
keep her in prison for the "national security of Belgium."
The Belgian State Council of Justice-something like the U.S.
Supreme Court-ruled she should not be extradited, neither to
Turkey, nor to a third country. and should indeed be
acquitted. Still the Ministry of Internal Affairs insists on
extraditing her to a third country, that is, not to Turkey,
and to keep her in prison until then.
She has been on hunger strike since July 14 and is
determined to continue this action until she is released.
Fifteen other people joined her hunger strike in solidarity
on Aug. 5.
She demands the right to choose where she will stay in
Belgium so she herself can arrange its defense against her
enemies in the Turkish state. In 1999, Turkish agents
kidnapped Abdullah Ocalan, head of the Workers Party of
Kurdistan, from Kenya and brought him to prison in Turkey.
An attorney for Erdal, Jan Fermon, told the Belgian weekly
newspaper Solidaire that "in this case the Belgian state is
entirely following the Turkish policy of defining all
communist activity as criminal activity."
Fermon continued, "Finally, Turkey and Belgium have accords
through their relationship to NATO to fight against internal
enemies (democratic and communist militant workers'
movements). In the Erdal case, we see the direct application
of these accords."
It is possible to send messages of solidarity to Erdal at
Fehriye@mail.com. --John Catalinotto (from Workers' World)
John Cats