Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party İmralı Delegation shared the call of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan with the public yesterday in Istanbul. Abdullah Öcalan's call was broadcast live on giant led screens set up in many cities. Thousands of people gathered in Amed's (Diyarbakır) Sheikh Said Square listened attentively to Abdullah Öcalan's call, and many people could not control their emotions and shed tears.  

 

Citizens listening to the call emphasised that Abdullah Öcalan had handed the key of "peace" to the peoples.

 

‘LET SEROK COME TOGETHER WITH HIS PEOPLE’

 

Ferha Akbulut, who travelled to Amed from Merdîn's Qoser (Kızıltepe) district of Merdîn, said that she had participated in all the protests since 1995 with her cane despite having platinum in both feet. Emphasising that they believe in Abdullah Öcalan, Ferha Akbulut said, "I couldn't hold myself back and cried on the way here. Serok Apo's (Leader Öcalan) message is important for rights and law. It shows that he is endeavouring for peace not only for the Kurdish people but for all the peoples of the world. With the coming of peace, the blood will stop flowing. Abdullah Öcalan has handed the key of peace to us, the peoples. Everyone should appreciate this and approach it sincerely." 

 

Ferha Akbulut reminded that PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan must regain his freedom in order to ensure peace and said, "Let the isolation end, let Serok come together with his people. Let them take the outstretched hand of peace and open the doors wide. He believes in himself and his people. If they listen to him, peace will come. As Bavê Teyar said, we are bigger than death.  We are not afraid of arrest or detention. We will continue to say peace no matter what. The eyes of all Kurds were on this day."

 

İlyas Adıyaman, who travelled from Pasur to the rally area with his young child, said: "We want this process, which started after 40 years of struggle, to continue. We will follow the process and the struggle. We want peace to come. Even if we cannot see it, we want our children to live in peace. That is why we are here. We want to see the days when everyone lives equally and no one dies."

 

Bediye Aslan Tekin said that she was touched like everyone else when she heard the message and stated that she was eagerly waiting for peace to come. Emphasised that they have paid many prices in the war that has been going on for years, Bediye Aslan Tekin said, "We were happy with the message we received. Let peace come, no more crying mothers." 

 

‘WE WILL FOLLOW UP UNTIL THE END’

 

Saying that she came for the call despite her many illnesses, Kıymet Gürbüz said, "Let peace come, let our leader be free. Let us come together with him and let our young people in prisons be released. Wherever the smell of peace blows, mothers will be there. When the message came, I cried like everyone else in the area, because the hope and desire for peace and the end of the problems affected us. Many of those who came here have children and relatives in prison or in the mountains. As such, everyone is touched.  Let the environment for peace be created so that they can see them. We will follow peace in the footsteps of the president until the end. The messages given were important, we want it to continue." 

 

Kamuran Aydın thanked everyone who made efforts for peace and stated that the other side should also do their part for peace. Abidin Durmaz, 50, a disabled person who came to Amed in a wheelchair from Derîk district of Mêrdîn to listen to the historic call, stated that they found the call positive and that they wanted to live equally. 

 

MA / Şilan Şirvan Çil - Heval Önkol