On the 175th day of the indefinite hunger strikes of Grup Yorum member Cem Dursun and Dev-Genç member Tacettin Erol Şahin, 437 people from different countries and regions participated in a one-day solidarity hunger strike.
As part of the international day of solidarity, demonstrations were organised outside the Turkish Embassy in Athens and the Turkish Consulate in Barcelona. The Community of Squatted Prosfygika in Greece and the Party of the Radical Left in Belgrade, Serbia, also issued statements of solidarity.
THE DEMANDS OF 175 DAYS OF RESISTANCE
Cem Dursun and Tacettin Erol Şahin began their indefinite hunger strikes on 29 April 2026 against continuous 24-hour camera surveillance, isolation, the imposition of degrading criminal identity cards, arbitrary disciplinary punishments and the violation of prisoners’ rights in Turkish prisons. Their resistance forms part of the struggle against S-, R- and Y-type, pit-type prisons.
437 PEOPLE JOIN ONE-DAY SOLIDARITY HUNGER STRIKE
The participation figures reported so far, by country and region, are as follows:
| Country or region | Participants | |
| Greece | 201 | |
| Germany | 71 | |
| Austria | 59 | |
| Britain | 20 | |
| Belgium | 15 | |
| Netherlands | 9 | |
| Catalonia | 1 | |
| Basque Country | 1 | |
| Sweden | 5 | |
| Denmark | 1 | |
| Norway | 1 | |
| Qatar | 2 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 2 | |
| Dubai | 4 | |
| Iraq | 1 | |
| United Arab Emirates | 2 | |
| Belarus | 2 | |
| Cyprus | 1 | |
| Turkey (Antakya) | 15 | |
| France | 19 | |
| Switzerland | 5 | |
| TOTAL | 437 |
DEMONSTRATIONS OUTSIDE TURKISH DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IN ATHENS AND BARCELONA
Solidarity demonstrations were held outside the Turkish Embassy in Athens and the Turkish Consulate in Barcelona.
During the demonstrations, attention was drawn to the resistance of Cem Dursun and Tacettin Erol Şahin, and demands were made for their demands to be accepted.
SOLIDARITY FROM THE COMMUNITY OF SQUATTED PROSFYGIKA
The Community of Squatted Prosfygika in Athens announced that it was participating in the symbolic one-day solidarity hunger strike on 20 October.
In its published statement, the Community declared:
“As Community of Squatted Prosfygika, we stand in solidarity with the just struggle of revolutionary political prisoners in Turkish jails, and we are participating in a one-day solidarity hunger strike on October 20th.”
The Community demanded an end to S-, R- and Y-type, pit-type prisons, torture and 24-hour surveillance, and called for the dignity and rights of prisoners to be protected.
The statement concluded with the slogans:
“VICTORY TO THE HUNGER STRIKE OF OUR COMRADES – IMMEDIATE FULFILMENT OF THEIR DEMANDS!”
“WE WILL WIN OR WE WILL WIN!”
SOLIDARITY MESSAGE FROM THE PARTY OF THE RADICAL LEFT IN BELGRADE
In Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, the Party of the Radical Left also called for solidarity with the resistance of the two prisoners.
The party stated:
“We, as the Party of the Radical Left, have gathered in Belgrade to call for solidarity with Cem Dursun of Grup Yorum and student Tacettin Erol Şahin of Revolutionary Youth. These two comrades are political prisoners in Turkey and are on the 175th day of their hunger strikes.”
The Party of the Radical Left expressed solidarity with comrades in Turkey and with political prisoners in NATO countries, Ukraine and occupied Palestine.
The statement emphasised that the torture, isolation and humiliation of those fighting against imperialism in prisons were unacceptable.
The party declared:
“The hunger strikes show that the will of these revolutionaries has not been broken.”
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY CONTINUES
The one-day solidarity hunger strikes held on 20 October brought the demands of revolutionary political prisoners in Turkey to the attention of people in different countries and regions.
The participation of 437 people, the demonstrations in Athens and Barcelona, and the solidarity messages from Greece and Serbia demonstrated the different forms of international support on the 175th day of the resistance.
The demands of Cem Dursun and Tacettin Erol Şahin are an end to 24-hour camera surveillance, isolation, the imposition of degrading identity cards, arbitrary disciplinary punishments and violations of prisoners’ rights.
The international solidarity campaign continues to demand that these demands be accepted.
ACCEPT THE DEMANDS OF CEM DURSUN AND TACETTİN EROL ŞAHİN!
CLOSE THE S-, R- AND Y-TYPE, PIT-TYPE PRISONS!
END ISOLATION AND REPRESSION IN PRISONS!
WE WILL WIN THROUGH RESISTANCE!
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