The Democratic Institutions Platform organised a public meeting in Bismil as part of the Peace and Democratic Society Meetings. A poster of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan was hung in the hall where the meeting took place. 

 

Hundreds of people attended the meeting, with Cetin Arkas, Ayla Akat Ata from the Free Women's Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA) and Suzan Akipa, a member of the Asrın Law Office, participating as speakers. 

 

The meeting, where slogans such as "Bijî Serok Apo (Long live Leader Apo)" and "Bê Serok jiyan nabe (Without Leader there is no life)" were chanted, began with a moment of silence. 

 

Suzan Akipa said that Abdullah Ocalan had conveyed that he would not back down on the issue of peace. She said that Abdullah Ocalan's freedom must be secured and that the "right to hope" was important for this. 

 

Noting that democratic integration was based on change and transformation, she said that the most important factor in the process was ensuring the constitutional existence of the Kurds. 

 

CALL TO THE RALLY

 

Ayla Akat Ata stated that they would convey the views of the people to Abdullah Ocalan, emphasising that Abdullah Ocalan has always called for peace, from the past to the present. 

 

Ayla Akat Ata called for strong participation in the "Hope and Freedom" rally to be held on 4 January at Amed (Diyarbakır) Station Square.

 

'LEADER APO HIMSELF WILL BE IN THE HALL, NOT JUST HIS POSTER' 

 

Cetin Arkas reminded the audience that there are those who lost their lives in the struggle and whose remains have not yet been found, saying that we must face up to what has been done to achieve lasting peace. 

 

"If this process is to result in real peace, it will be Leader Apo himself, not his posters, who will be in these halls," he said. Recalling the previous process, Arkas said that the process broke down before the 7 June elections. 

 

Arkas drew attention to the murder of Tahir Elçi, stating that a new process began with Elçi's death. Arkas stated that a difficult process had begun and that 10 years had passed since the previous process and added: "As Leader Apo said, the process began again in Imrali." Reacting to the language used by the government and the media, Cetin Arkas said they would not accept calling a people's leader a "terrorist." Cetin Arkas concluded: "The Kurds have their honour. Trust is not built this way.”