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Trade unions warn Turkey over Kurdish leader's isolation
Supporters of Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan, some holding his portrait, demonstrate outside the Greek Embassy in London in 1996

TRADE union leaders and the actress Maxine Peake have written to the Turkish government demanding an immediate end to the “inhumane” isolation of jailed Kurdish icon Abdullah Ocalan.

Their letter comes on the 20th anniversary of Mr Ocalan’s arrest and as hundreds of his Kurdish supporters are staging lengthy hunger strikes to highlight his plight.

Transport union TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes and Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke both signed the letter.

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