İbrahim Gökçek

İbrahim Gökçek (1980 – 7 May 2020) was a musician of the Turkish revolutionary band Grup Yorum.[1] He played the bass guitar.[2] He died on 7 May 2020 after a 323-day hunger strike, which he had ended two days before.[3] He was married to Sultan Gökçek, who is also a member of Grup Yorum and detained in Silivri Prison.[3]

İbrahim Gökçek
Born1980
Died (aged 40)
Istanbul, Turkey
Resting placeKayseri

Gökçek was arrested on 1 May 2019 and charged with "establishing and leading an organisation"[3] He joined the ongoing hunger strike of other Grup Yorum members in June 2019.[4] The demands of the hunger strikers were that the Turkish government end the suppression of the group, release its members from prison, and allow them to give concerts.[5] On 4 January 2020, he and Helin Bölek turned their hunger strike into a death fast. On 14 January 2020 the prosecution demanded a life sentence for Gökçek.[6] In February 2020 he was released from prison, but he stayed on hunger strike together with Helin Bölek in a house in Küçükarmutlu, Istanbul.[7] On 5 May 2020 he ended his hunger strike and was transferred to a hospital for treatment. He died on 7 May 2020.[8]

The following day, mourners taking part in a ceremony in memory of Gökçek at an Alevi cemevi in the neighbourhood of Sultangazi were halted by the police and dispersed with teargas.[2] The police broke down the gates to the cemevi, detained several members of Grup Yorum, seized the coffin containing Gökçek[9] and brought his corpse to Kayseri, where he was buried.[10]

References
  1. "Ibrahim Gökçek of Turkish band Grup Yorum dies after hunger strike". Ahval. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  2. "Lonely death of Grup Yorum bassist highlights Turkey hunger strikes". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  3. "Grup Yorum Band Member İbrahim Gökçek Loses His Life". Bianet. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  4. "Political musician on death fast to be released from prison". ANF News. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  5. Ciosek, Kaja. "Freemuse and P24 concerned about reports of Grup Yorum's members force-feeding". Freemuse. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  6. "Indictment Against Death Fasting Grup Yorum Member Gökçek". Bianet. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  7. Ankara, AP in (3 April 2020). "Member of banned Turkish folk group dies after hunger strike". the Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  8. "Grup Yorum member İbrahim Gökçek dies two days after ending death fast". www.duvarenglish.com. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  9. "Turkish authorities disrupt funeral of Grup Yorum hunger striker". Ahval. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  10. "Grup Yorum üyesi İbrahim Gökçek defnedildi". Gazete Duvar. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
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