English text - Solidarity with Grup Yorum bassist Ibrahim Gökçek

Ibrahim Gökçek, member of the band "Grup Yorum", is on hunger strike for more than 300 days now, determined not to stop. On April 3, his partner, Helin Bölek, was martyred after 288 days of hunger strike. Ibrahim Gökçek continues his hunger strike, unbowed. The following is a text of solidarity, for collecting signatures by artists. Whoever wants to sign the text, can send an e-mail to the e-mail address at the end, stating their full name and artistic profession, or the name of the artistic group or music band.    

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Solidarity with Grup Yorum bassist Ibrahim Gökçek  

Ibrahim Gökçek, member of the band "Grup Yorum", is on hunger strike for more than 300 days now, determined not to stop. On April 3, his partner, Helin Bölek, was martyred after 288 days of hunger strike. Ibrahim Gökçek continues unbowed his hunger strike. Ibrahim Gökçek continues unbowed his hunger strike, demanding:

- Their concerts to be allowed in Turkey! 
- The release of all Grup Yorum members, and withdrawal of the judicial prosecutions against them! 
- Stop the police raids on their Idil Cultural Center and on their offices! 
- Remove the members of the band from the Turkish "anti-terrorist" list and cancel their arrest warrants!  

Grup Yorum is more than just a band: it is a symbol of the people's struggles against the oppression of the bourgeois Turkish regime. Grup Yorum, being anti-fascists and anti-imperialists, have been the voice of the poor, the persecuted and the struggling for four decades. A fighting voice of freedom and culture! Since 2015, the band's concerts have been banned, its members have been outlawed and imprisoned, its cultural centers have been attacked by the Turkish regime. Grup Yorum are giving a relentless fight against the silencing imposed on them.

“An artist who can't sing for his people, who can't give concerts, can be considered already dead”

Ibrahim Gökçek - Helin Bölek  

Artists in Greece express solidarity with hunger striker Ibrahim Gökçek! Ibrahim Gökçek must live! Helin Bölek is immortal! Solidarity with the fighters of Grup Yorum!

Gr.Musicians.for.Grup.Yorum@gmail.com