NEWS CENTER – Ekin Yeter, Co-chair of OHD; who was part of the delegation that received the weapons inventory from the guerrilla group that destroyed its weapons in response to Abdullah Ocalan’s call, said that the organisations that received the inventory would prepare a report on the ceremony and the process.
In response to the call by Kurdish Leader Abdullah Ocalan, a 30 member guerrilla group, including KCK Executive Council Co-chair Bese Hozat, held a ceremony on 11 July in Şikefta Casenê (Jasana Cave), Silêmanî (Sulaymaniyah).
Hundreds of people, including politicians, representatives of civil society organisations, incellectuals and journalists, went to the region to watch the ceremony. The guerrillas presented a list of their weapons inventory to representatives of the Lawyers for Freedom Association (OHD), the Human Rights Association (IHD) and the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TIHV), who were part of a delegation from Turkey and Kurdistan cities.
Ekin Yeter, Co-Chair of ÖHD, who was present at the ceremony and part of the delegation that received the inventory list, shared her thoughts on the process and the ceremony. She said that the Peace and Democratic Society Process initiated by Abdullah Ocalan was progressing rapidly: “It began with the Call for Peace and a Democratic Society, and then continued with the congress process. Now, a very important step has been taken ragarding the change in the method of armed struggle, and we witnessed a day when the guerrillas destroyed their weapons. We were filled with mixed emotions. It was a ceremony where everyone was strong and in high spirits."
Referring to the burning of weapons at the ceremony, Ekin Yeter said that the destruction of weapons by fire had a special meaning, adding that it was a situation that raised the resistance codes of the oppressed and exploited peoples of Kurdistan to the heavens.
Ekin Yeter emphasised that the ceremony signalled a change in the method of struggle and the possibility of taking strong steps within the framework of democratic law and politics, stating that a step had been taken to prevent loss of life. “This is, of course, a process that excite us lawyers very much because it was also a matter of recognising the individual and collective rights of the Kurds, who have insisted on the laying down of arms as a condition from the very beginning, at the constitutional and legal level. At this point, we are now waiting for strong steps to be taken.”
INVENTORY LIST
Speaking about the wepons inventory presented to them by the guerrillas at the ceremony they attended as representatives, Ekin Yeter concluded: “At the ceremony, the guerrillas who destroyed the weapons were given an inventory list. This was delivered to us as observers from the IHD, TIHV, OHD. As the three organisations to which the list regarding the ceremony was delivered, we will hold discussions among ourselves. I can share that we are preparing a report regarding our time as observers and that we have held preliminary discussions on this matter.”
MA / Dicle Muftuoglu