Following the call of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdulalh Ocalan, the Kurdistan Workers Party (Partiye Karkerên Kurdistan-PKK) held a weapons destruction ceremony in the rural area of Şikefta Casenê (Jasana Cave) near Sulaymaniyah in the Federated Kurdistan Region. 

 

The “Peace and Democratic Society Group”, consisting of 15 women and 15 men, declared at the ceremony: “In order to ensure the practical success of ‘Peace and Democratic Society’  process, to wage our freedom, democracy and socialist struggle with methods of legal and democratic politics on the basis of enacting laws for democratic integration, we voluntarily destroy our weapons, before your presence, as a step of goodwill and determination. “

 

Watching the live ceremony from Qoser (Kızıltepe) district of Mêrdîn (Mardin), Peace Mothers were deeply moved and could not hold back their tears. After watching the footage, they expressed their emotions with applause and slogans, embracing the “Peace and Democratic Society” process.

 

Calling today “a sacred day,” Peace Mother Ferha Akbulut tearfully said: “As mothers, we have always wanted peace and equality. Therefore, today we once again call on all mothers—military mothers, police mothers, guerrilla mothers—to stand up and say ‘enough is enough.’ We want today to be a turning point for peace, freedom, and equality. Our children in the mountains and prisons should be with their parents now. Mothers’ hearts must no longer burn.”

 

Peace Mother Selma Öztürk said she found it hard to express her feelings: “Our leader made a sacred and historic decision. Our comrades and party took a historic step. Women must be at the forefront of this struggle. We will fulfill the leader’s paradigm. We will keep fighting until freedom is achieved. We will stand tall until our leader is free.”

 

‘NOW THE STATE MUST TAKE STEPS’

 

Peace Mother Tenzile Ağatay expressed her gratitude to Abdullah Öcalan for this day and said: “I warmly embrace those who destroyed their weapons by participating in the ceremony. We thank everyone who took these steps. Just as our leader took a step, the state must also take one. For over 40 years, blood has been shed. We lost our youth, and they lost many young people too. We hope everything will be much better.”

 

Peace Mother Rabia Kurtay, leading PKK Figure who set himself on fire in Amed Ferhat Kurtay’s sister, said: “We stand behind our leader. We have paid a great price. We no longer want deaths. Just as our leader took a step, our guerrillas took the same step. We expect the state to do the same. There is room for all of us in this world. It is time to live together in peace. Enough is enough.”

 

Peace Mother Nazlı Acar, watching the ceremony in Wan, stated that the state must now take concrete steps following the weapon destruction: “We expect this process to be crowned with peace as soon as possible. There are no more excuses for the state. All necessary steps have been taken and the weapons have been destroyed. The state must now act and do what is needed. No mother should be saddened or cry again. We want unity and togetherness.”

 

‘EXCITEMENT AND HAPPINESS’

 

Emphasizing that it is now the state’s turn to act, Peace Mother Kewê Işık said: “We watched the footage with great excitement. We are very happy. A group came and announced to the public that they destroyed their weapons. It is the state’s turn to take steps. They handed over our children’s bodies in boxes. Our villages were burned, we were displaced. Apart from everything, peace must now be established.”

 

Expressing her happiness and excitement at witnessing the moment Peace Mother Besna Aydoğan said: “With hope to see better days... Peace must be established as soon as possible, enough with the suffering.”

 

Peace Mother Rabia Algör stressed: “This process happened under the leadership of Mr. Ocalan. The Kurds are once again on the world’s agenda... There are no more excuses left for the state. The entire burden of this process is on the state. The process must be completed without delay. Much blood has been shed and many tears cried with no progress. This process will bring a completely new beauty with it.”