İSTANBUL - HDP MPs visited the musician Ibrahim Gökçek who is on death fast in Istanbul and called on the public to show solidarity. The bassist of Grup Yorum has been refusing to eat for months.

 

HDP MPs Serpil Kemalbay, Musa Piroğlu and Murat Çepni, as well as Istanbul HDP chairperson Elif Bulut, visited the music band Grup Yorum bassist Ibrahim Gökçek who is on death fast in the "Resistance House" in the Küçük Armutlu district. The HDP delegation was received by Ibrahim Gökçek's father Ahmet Gökçek and lawyers from the "People's Law Office". After a conversation of about twenty minutes, HDP politician Serpil Kemalbay made a statement in front of the house, which is continuously besieged by armoured police vehicles.

 

Serpil Kemalbay pointed out that Ibrahim Gökçek has been refusing to eat for 322 days and that, given his current condition, every hour counts: "We have not been able to keep Helin Bölek and Mustafa Koçak alive, and we want Ibrahim Gökçek to live.”

 

The demands of the hunger strike are easy to meet, Kemalbay said and continued: "In a country where democratic principles apply and the legal system works, these demands would not even exist. Ibrahim Gökçek has two demands: An end to the ban on his group's concerts and the release of the imprisoned members of Grup Yorum.

 

While the relatives and lawyers expect the government to propose a solution, the HDP politician says that no one can be found to talk to: "Ibrahim Gökçek's demands are clear, what does the government say? The Minister of Justice should not play dead, Ibrahim Gökçek is merely demanding justice. We don't want this hunger strike to end in death. We want Ibrahim Gökçek alive. Even a slightest effort can produce a result, as long as the problem is seen and a step is taken. The right to life is sacrosanct and we must act accordingly.”