AMED – Peace Mothers, who were prevented from speaking Kurdish during a parliamentary commission meeting, emphasized that the Kurdish language must first be recognized and that Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan must be granted the “right to hope” for the Kurdish issue to be resolved.
At a Human Rights Association (IHD) branch in Amed (Diyarbakır), the Peace Mothers Assembly spoke out regarding the ban on speaking Kurdish in the “Commission on National Solidarity, Fraternity and Democracy” in Turkish Parliament. Nezahat Teke, who attended the meeting, expressed the pain they experienced and their desire to speak in their own language.
SPEAKING OUT ABOUT THE BAN
Nezahat Teke said she was hurt by the prohibition on speaking Kurdish: "I told the commission, 'I am from Amed, a Kurdish mother. I want to express myself in my own language.' Some deputies said they could provide translation, but the Speaker rejected this, saying ‘Speak in Turkish, it won’t be recorded otherwise.’ I said speaking Turkish is difficult for me, but they did not accept it."
APPEAL TO KURTULMUŞ FOR SINCERITY
Nezahat Teke called for a meeting with Abdullah Öcalan, stating: "Mr. Öcalan must be part of this commission and the process. No progress has been made by the state in 8 months. Our language was not accepted, which deeply hurt me. If my language and identity are denied, it means my existence is denied. For the Kurdish issue to be resolved, Kurdish must become an official and educational language. If an English speaker came, wouldn’t they provide an interpreter? I call on the commission and its head, Numan Kurtulmuş, to act sincerely. If there is to be a solution, our language must be accepted first."
‘WHERE IS THE SOLUTION?’
Peace Mother Sultan Bozkurt, said she has lived in Istanbul for 30 years but has not learned Turkish, which prevents her from expressing herself fully in parliament. She criticized the continued denial of Kurdish rights and the lack of state progress, emphasizing ongoing isolation in prisons and ongoing oppression. She stressed the need to grant Abdullah Öcalan “the right to hope.”
‘BLOOD CAN ONLY BE WASHED WITH PEACE’
Peace Mother Havva Kıran spoke about the state's intolerance toward Kurdish. She said: "If there were conscience, mercy, and humanity, they would allow one mother to speak Kurdish while two speak Turkish." Havva Kıran stressed that true freedom for the Kurdish people depends on the liberation of Öcalan, calling on all mothers to unite for peace. She concluded: "We want a constitution that recognizes Kurds’ existence, justice, and democracy. Blood cannot be washed with blood; it can only be washed with peace. We will continue to demand peace as long as we live."
The Peace Mothers and Democratic Regions Party (DBP) in Izmir and the Peace Foundation in Istanbul also made statements on the issue and criticised the Commission's stance.