ŞIRNEX - The mothers of Sevê Demir, Fatma Uyar and Pakize Nayır, who were murdered during the curfews, said that Abdullah Öcalan's physical freedom must be ensured and prisons must be emptied in order for the process to move forward.

 

The mothers of Democratic Regions Party (DBP) PM member Sevê Demir, Silopiya People's Assembly Co-Chair Pakize Nayır and Free Women's Congress (Kongreya Jinên Azad-KJA) member Fatma Uyar, who were killed during the curfews in Silopiya (Silopi) district of Şirnex (Şırnak) in 2015, spoke to Mezopotamya Agency (MA) about the process. 

 

Sakine Demir, mother of Seve Demir, pointed to Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" and said: "The call of Mr Abdullah Öcalan is appropriate and this call has been accepted by the whole world. Today, no matter what the Turks say, the Kurds have been liberated. No one should say that the PKK has laid down arms and we are defenceless, we are afraid. We will live better. We Kurds are no longer the old Kurds. This process will reach its goal. However, as long as the state does not take concrete steps, as long as Mr Abdullah Öcalan does not regain his physical freedom and as long as the doors of prisons are not opened, this process will not progress. Today, no power can take away the gains we have achieved through struggle, no one can ignore us."

 

'THE STATE MUST ALSO TAKE CONCRETE STEPS'

 

Drawing attention to the prices paid in the struggle, Sakine Demir added: "Just as we accept life with them, they must accept us. Today, the Kurdish people will not be free because the Turks have given or will give something, the Kurds will be free thanks to the struggle they waged, thanks to the labour of their lost sons. On every street in Kurdistan there is a funeral, the Kurds have fought hard for their freedom. We believe in Mr Abdullah Öcalan. Now that the PKK has laid down its arms, the state should also take a concrete step."

 

'THE DOORS OF PRISONS MUST BE OPENED'

 

Behiye Nayır, mother of Pakize Nayır, stated that they have always defended peace despite all the massacres, persecution and injustice and said: "We are also calling on the Kurdish people: Join hands and do not give up your struggle for rights and law. We do not want to harm anyone. We thank Mr Abdullah Öcalan for initiating the peace process. Prison doors must be opened for this process to reach its goal. The Kurdish movement has been fulfilling its responsibility for years. We also call on Mr Bahçeli: He should take the necessary steps in a concrete manner."

 

Behiye Nayır pointed to Turkey's support during the ISIS attacks on Northern and Eastern Syria: "Turkey accepts ISIS being there, but does not allow Kurds to gain their rights there. The homeland is Kurdish, the land is Kurdish. They desertified our mountains, left no trees in these lands, dried up our water sources, destroyed our living spaces, destroyed our villages, this is an insult to us. Our demand is that our villages be rebuilt, that they take their hands off our lands, that living spaces be re-established. Mothers and youth can bring peace, youth and mothers should join hands and bring peace."

 

'PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR THE STATE TO TAKE STEPS'

 

Fatma Uyar's mother Hatice Uyar pointed to the call of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the steps taken by the Kurdish movement and said: "However, the state has not taken a single step yet. Firstly, prisons should be emptied and sick prisoners should be released. My wife is a sick prisoner and has been in prison for 14 years, but she is not released. This state neither takes a step nor says anything. People are waiting for the state to take a step."

 

'WE BELIEVE IN ÖCALAN, BUT WE DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE STATE'

 

Asking the question whether the state is sincere, Hatice Uyar said: "They are the ones who started this process. Bahçeli himself said, 'Let Abdullah Öcalan come to Parliament and speak'. They initiated this process, but while we fulfil all their conditions, they are still silent. We trust and believe in ourselves and Mr Abdullah Öcalan. However, we do not believe in this state. Because they still have not taken a step that we can believe in them. The release of prisoners of 30 years is still postponed, political prisoners are not released. They call it a peace process, but on the other hand they are conducting operations and bombardments. How can we believe? So there is no peace process. This state has done nothing for us. If they want to gain the trust of the Kurdish people, they have to take concrete steps. It has been 3-4 months and still the conditions of Mr Abdullah Öcalan have not been fulfilled and a legal basis has not been created. This breaks our faith in the process. If they really want peace, then they should take steps."

 

MA / Zeynep Durgut