Kurdish Leader Calls for the Elimination of Ladenite Ansar Al-Islam.

Turkish Kurds refuse food in bid for political asylum in France

AFP

Aug 13, 2002 

A family of four Turkish Kurds, including two pregnant women, have been on hunger strike for a month in a bid to obtain political asylum in France, an immigrants' association said Tuesday.

Yusuf Aksoy, his wife and sister-in-law -- who are both eight months pregnant -- and one of their cousins are holed up in the cathedral in this Riviera town and are only consuming sugared water and fruit juice, said Tarik Belkhodja from the Solidarity with Immigrant Workers Association (ASTI).

Aksoy illegally emigrated to France in 1996 and has been living in Saint-Raphael with his family for the past 18 months, Belkhodja explained.

"French authorities do not contest that the members of this family are Kurds, which protects them from being sent back to Turkey, but is refusing to straighten our their situation," he noted.

"This situation is unacceptable and this family has chosen to continue their struggle," ASTI said in a statement.