Jailed musician dies after nearly yearlong hunger strike in Turkey
Grup Yorum's Ibrahim Gokcek died two days after suspending his “death fast."
A second member of a defiant left-wing folk band has died while on a hunger strike protesting the Turkish government.
Ibrahim Gokcek died today, two days after suspending his “death fast” to receive medical treatment. Gokcek had gone 323 days without food, and was in critical condition.
Gokcek was a member of Grup Yorum, a popular music group barred from performing in Turkey since 2016. The country’s ruling Justice and Development Party had jailed many of its members, including Gokcek, on trumped-up terror charges.
Gokcek and bandmate Helin Bolek began a hunger strike while in prison to draw attention to the government’s treatment of the group. The two were released in November but continued their hunger strike in solidarity with their fellow jailed bandmates.
