The echoes of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" shared with the public on 27 February continue. Many countries from the USA to China, from Europe to Africa welcomed the call and called on Turkey to take steps. Families who lost their children during the conflict also demand that the state and the government take concrete steps as soon as possible.

 

Saadet Öklü was forced to migrate to Wan (Van) from Silopi district of Şirnex (Şırnak) in the 90s due to oppression. Saadet Öklü lost her son Vedat Öklü (Tolhildan Zêwkî) and daughter Dilan Öklü (Arîn Tolhildan) on different dates during the conflict. Saadet Öklü said, "If there was peace, we would not have lost our children."

 

 LOST A SON AND A DAUGHTER

 

Saadet Öklü lost her son Vedat Öklü in a clash in Besta district of Şirnex on 8 April 2021. "The police did not allow me to shroud my son. They buried my son with a body bag" she said. On 16 June 2024 her daughter Dilan Öklü died in a clash in the Federated Kurdistan Region. She said that she still has not received her daughter's body.

 

HER SON FOUGHT AGAINST ISIS

 

Saadet Öklü stated that their house was raided by the police in 2012-2013 and a gun was forced on their heads and said, "Our house was raided on the grounds that there were PKK members inside. They attacked my children and tortured us. After that raid, my son Vedat joined the PKK. Vedat said there: 'This torture and oppression is happening because we are Kurds'. That day a grudge was formed in Vedat's heart and he left. At that time ISIS was attacking Kobanê and all of our hearts were beating there. In 2013, Vedat left. Dilan joined one year after her brother. He was also influenced by the war in Kobanê. My 2 children also left because of the oppression and denial imposed on Kurds. They gave their faces to freedom because they could not bear this persecution any longer."

 

'IF THERE HAD BEEN PEACE, OUR CHILDREN WOULD NOT HAVE LEFT'

 

Saadet Öklü told that Vedat Öklü fought in Kobani and said that she saw her son on TV for the first time during the war. Saadet Öklü underlined that her son fought there to protect the people of Shengal against ISIS and said, "There was a great massacre against the people of Sinjar at that time. The people were oppressed and massacred there. My son died in 2021 and my daughter died in 2024. If peace had been achieved, if the Kurds had been given freedom and rights, our children would not have lost their lives. We have been shouting for peace and freedom for years. When we extended the hand of peace, no one took our hand. There is no end to war. We defend peace not because we are afraid, but because we are against war."

 

CALL TO THE FAMILIES OF SOLDIERS AND POLICE OFFICERS

 

Saadet Öklü said that the Kurdish people have been successful in their struggle for years and added, "We have been in the fields for years. We have made statements and marched in the fields to defend peace against war and life against massacres. Now hold the hand extended for peace. The families of soldiers and police officers should also give voice to peace. The bodies of our children were delivered to us in boxes in cargo. Despite all this, we say peace and freedom. There has been a policy of persecution against Kurds for centuries. The persecution was not done today, the persecution was done a hundred years ago. That is why the PKK was founded. Our children joined the PKK after this persecution.  When Kurds were being subjected to genocide, there was no armed struggle. We are not terrorists. They kill us, arrest our children, appoint trustees and we are the terrorists. We only want our rights."

 

'THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT TAKEN A STEP'

 

Saadet Öklü reminded Devlet Bahçeli's statement about isolation and "right to hope" and stressed: "After Bahçeli's statement, we got hopeful and said 'the state has now taken a step'. Since the first statement, Bahçeli has only made that speech. No steps have been taken by the government yet. Why are there still these attacks and why are our children still being bombed? We fully support Abdullah Öcalan's call. We believe that the call will bring peace. This can only be achieved by lifting the isolation and ensuring the physical freedom of Mr Abdullah Öcalan. If our rights are granted, if the demands of the PKK and Mr Öcalan are fulfilled, there will be no need for weapons to explode. If the rights of Kurds are granted, there will be no need for armed struggle. Our only demand is for the government to take a step. As the Kurdish side, we have done our part. Now it is the state's turn and it needs to make a noise and take a step."

 

MA / Ruken Polat - Mazlum Engindeniz