This afternoon, at a press conference in front of the House of Resistance, located in Istanbul’s Küçük Armutlu neighborhood, where leftist music band Grup Yorum’s guitarist İbrahim Gökçek has been conducting his Death Fast(Hunger Strike till death) for 323 days, members of the Grup Yorum announced that they temporarily paused the Death Fast resistance.

According to the member of Grup Yorum – Seher Adıgüzel, this decision was made by all members of the band in Turkey and Europe together with Ibrahim Gökçek. According to her, the main motives for making this decision are that the Death Fast resistance has achieved a political victory, showing the peoples of Turkey and the world that without resistance they cannot win or defend any of their rights, while their resistance which lasted for almost 12 months, has exposed to the peoples of World the injustice and terror of fascist oligarchy in Turkey against all those who fight for the democratic rights and freedoms of the people, against fascism and capitalism.

She also said that if the main demand – the removal of the ban on concerts, as well as the rest of the hunger strike demands – release the members of Grup Yorum from prisons, terminate the cases against them, and remove the musicians from the “wanted terrorist lists, were not fulfilled, the Grup Yorum reserves the right to start the hunger strike again. Finally, Adıgüzel stated that the struggle of Grup Yorum for fulfilling the demands made during the hunger strike would continue with all possible means.

Lawyer Didem Baydar Ünsal from the People’s Law Bureau(Halkın Hukuk Bürosu), who delivered a speech after Seher Adıgüzel, said that lawyers and members of the Grup Yorum are currently meeting with representatives of the Istanbul governor’s office for permission to hold a concert. According to lawyer Ünsal negotiations are now moving in a positive direction and the demand for lifting the ban on concerts is expected to be accepted.

The Presidents and the executives of the Human Rights Association (İnsan Hakları Dernği), the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (Türkiye İnsan Hakları Vakfı), deputies of the leftist People’s Democratic Party (Halkların Demorkatiık Partisi), The Republican People’s Party (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi), Worker’s Party of Turkey(Türkiye İşçi Partisi) as well as many intellectuals and artists, have stated that they are in favor of the Grup Yorum’s demands and will participate in negotiations with government officials to accept the Grup Yorum’s hunger strike demands.

Meanwhile, this afternoon, Ibrahim Gökçek, who has temporarily paused his hunger strike, was taken to a hospital in Istanbul for treatment. Ibrahim’s lawyers, comrades, and parents are with him at the hospital.

Grup Yorum is expected to make a written statement about today’s events later or tomorrow.

Long Live the Resistance!

Long Live the Victory!

Helin Bolek is the immortal song of all peoples of the world!