Statements from Irish Republican Socialist Party

Irish Republican Socialist Party
Press Release - 1 July 2001


IRSP: 'Profound Sorrow' Over Death of Turkish Hunger Striker

It is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the Leadership, Staff and Volunteers of the Irish National Liberation Army and the Ard Comhairle, Area and Local Executives of the Irish Republican Socialist Party learned of the death of Comrade Zehra Kulaksiz of the Devrimci Halk Kurtulufl Partisi.

Comrade Zehra Kulaksiz gave her life after 221 days on Death Fast, not only for her comrades in the Turkish F-type isolation prisons, but for those who struggle for freedom everywhere. Our thoughts are with Zehra's family and her comrades at this time.

In the twenty years since our own Hunger Strike we have remembered our own three comrades who fell martyred then with their seven IRA comrades and from this point on we will always remember Zehra and her comrades with pride. As Socialists and communist's we take solace from the second verse of The International.

"Should these vile monsters still determine.
Heroes to make us in despite.
They will know full soon the type of vermin.
Our bullets strike in this last fight."

WE ARE WITH YOU! YOU SHALL WIN!

Statement issued by Terry Harkin Irish Republican Socialist Party, International Department European Secretary

Irish Republican Socialist Party - 25 June 2001

IRSP International Department Secretary to Visit Turkey in Support of Political Prisoners

A Secretary of the International Department of the Irish Republican Socialist Party, Terry h Earcain, is presently in Turkey as part of a fact finding delegations organised by the Committee For Struggle Against Torture Through Isolation (IKM) and the Association of Families and Friends of Political Prisoners (TAYAD).

The IRSP has long been engaged in solidarity work with both Kurdish and Turkish revolutionaries, such as the DHKP-C. Like the IRSP itself, the DHKC-P combines the struggle against imperialism with the fight against native capitalism, seeking to secure the interests of the masses of their nations people who are the working class through the establishment of a socialist society. In recent months, the IRSP has been continuously active throughout the 32-counties of Ireland, as well as in Scotland, England, Canada and the United States in drawing attention to the hunger strike presently under way by revolutionary prisoners of war in Turkey and attempting to build support for the prisoners demands.

Mr. h Earcain, who had previously attended the international Kurdish Congress in exile in a display of solidarity with the Kurdish people of Anatolia, will be staying with Turkish activists while in the country over a three day period, providing an independent witness to the manner in which the Turkish government deals with those seeking justice for the political prisoners, or otherwise opposed to imperialism in Turkey.

The IRSP salutes the heroic political prisoners in Turkey, presently on a hunger strike which has claimed 25 lives, and joins in raising one of the central slogans of the DHKP-C: For independence against imperialism, for democracy against fascism and for socialism against exploitation!