Last night Helin Bölek a singer in Turkey died after 288 days of hunger strike. Helin Bölek and her friend İbrahim Gökçek had three demands from government: an end to censorship of the band, an end to police raids on the Idil cultural centre used by the band in Istanbul, and the release of imprisoned musicians. After years of refusing to assess their demands by government, they started a hunger strike.
Many times during this long period of hunger strike the authorities in prison tried to feed her with sugar and salt injection, keeping her alive. But after 10 month of not receiving enough nutrition her body finally collapsed.
But who was her?
Helin Bolek was a member of music band named Grup Yorum. This band was stablished in 1985 by four friends at Marmara University. Influenced by the Latin American Nueva Cancion movement, they combined Turkish and Kurdish folk music and topical song with a left-wing often satirical perspective.
While the government frequently asserts that the group is tied to the DHKP-C. This was a left-wing party which was founded in 1978 but in 1994 it was classified as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and the European Union. Since then it is easier for political power in Turkey to suppress and arrest many opposition and protester groups in the name of terrorism. But while Grup Yorum is not formally affiliated with any party or political organization, it is not uncommon for the audience at their concerts to chant DHKP-C slogans and its fans represent a broad range of Turkish and Kurdish left-wing orientations.
In 15 July 2016 an alleged attempt for coup happened in Turkey. Turkish government under the command of president Erdogan defeated the coup over-night. Many people were killed and arrested that night. Many commentators in Turkey believe that this coup was arranged by intelligence service of Turkey so that president Erdogan will get a superior hand in suppressing any opposition group or minorities. After this attempt for coup an era of clearing government, universities, newspaper and news agancies and schools from any person accused of belonging to opposition groups. During one week near 6000 people were fired from their jobs or universities.
Grup Yorum have sung about capitalism, imperialism, anti-Americanism, and the Turkish government’s policies, which they say penalize the poor. One track is about the clearing of poor neighborhoods to make way for expensive skyscrapers. They also sometimes sing in Kurdish, as the language was banned many years ago. During 35 years of the activity of this music band, many musicians of this band were arrested, tortured, kept in prison and banned from work. But new members never allowed the work of the band to stop.
This song is named Kurdish Girl. Kurdish language has been banned in Turkey for years. In this song which is written by Aynur Dogan another former member of the band who left Turkey to study. This song is banned in Turkey since 2005 because of the content of the song which invites the women from all over the world to not to fear, not to hide, shout their voice and fight for justice.
In November 2016, eight members of Grup Yorum were arrested at a concert they held, but in spring 2017 they were released again.
In February 2018, Ali Aracı, İbrahim Gökçek, Selma Altun, İnan Altun, Emel Yeşilırma, and İhsan Cibelik were placed on the wanted list of the Turkish government. These members are currently on the grey list, meaning that they have a 300,000 Turkish Lira bounty on their heads.
In November 2019, Cologne police raided the venue and banned Grup Yorum’s concert which was going to take place in solidarity with members in Turkey. The statement of the police said that the concert was forbidden, that the area where the concert would be held was closed by the police and that those who came to watch the concert were sent back.
İbrahim Gökçek has been detained and sent to Silivri prison on the 1 March 2019. He and Helin Bölek began a hunger strike in June 2019. in protest to the treatment the band receives fro mpart of the Turkish Government.Their demands included that the Turkish Government ends forbidding its concerts for three and release band members from prison. Bölek was released in November 2019, but she kept of fasting. On the 4 January Gökçek and Bölek turned their hunger strike into a death fast. Following, Gökçek was released on the 25 February 2020, but also he kept on fasting. On 11 March 2020 Bölek and Gökçeks house was raided by the police and were taken to hospital to receive treatment, but as they announced opposition to the treatment, they were released again.
In April 2020, Helin Bölek died after 288 days of hunger strike in a home in Istanbul where she had been staging the hunger strike against the treatment of the band by the Turkish Government. Other two members including Gokcek’s wife, remain in prison, and Turkish government still refuses to assess the demands.
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