PROMINENT Palestinian revolutionary Leila Khaled has sent a letter to jailed Kurdish MP Leyla Guven in support of her hunger strike, which entered its 70th day today.

Ms Khaled, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, highlights Ms Guven’s courage and determination, affirming: “The harder the hunger strike, the more honourable the struggle.” 

Ms Guven, People’s Democratic Party (HDP) MP for Hakkari, has been on hunger strike for the past 70 days in demand for the end to the isolated imprisonment of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan.

She was imprisoned in January 2018 following her criticism of the Turkish military’s Operation Olive Branch, an illegal invasion and occupation of Afrin, northern Syria. 

Yesterday, the HDP MP reiterated that the hunger strike will continue despite the authorities allowing Mr Ocalan to have a visitor for the first time since 2016 after his brother was able to see him on Saturday.

Ms Khaled emphasised the similarity within the Palestinian and Kurdish struggle, claiming: “In Turkish and Israeli prisons revolutionaries are going on hunger strike for freedom, justice and to stop the ruling system wanting to break the voice of the people who want democracy.” 

Her letter is an affirmation of solidarity, saying: “On behalf of myself, and in the name of Palestinian women, I say that I will use my voice against all attacks against revolutionaries.”

She added: “You're a model for all the women in the world [...] The people and all the freedom lovers in the world respond with their actions.”

Ms Guven’s case is due to be heard in Diyarbakir’s 9th Heavy Penal Court on January 25.