Hunger strike comes to an end for 182 prisoners in Van

ISTANBUL

DHA Photo

Out of a total of 200 Kurdish inmates, some 182 put an end to their hunger strike in the eastern province of Vans' F-type prison, daily Radikal has reported.

Pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party's (BDP) "a pause to life" action was strongly supported in Van, where the majority of shops and schools were closed in support throughout the city.

Meanwhile, thousands of people marched toward the city’s F-type prison to support the Kurdish inmate that has conducted a hunger strike for 49 days.

Prisoners on hunger strike are demanding the guarantee of the health, security and freedom of the imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party leader Abdullah Öcalan, as well as the inclusion of Kurdish as an official language in education and the right to legally defend themselves in Kurdish.

President Abdullah Gül had recently renewed his calls for the termination of the hunger strike.