The families, who came to the agenda with the Justice Watch they started for the release of their relatives of prisoners in prisons, stated that they support Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society". The families, who transformed their vigil into solidarity with the prisoners after the prisoners went on hunger strike on 27 October 2023 as part of the "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, democratic solution to the Kurdish issue" campaign and continued their vigil until 4 April 2024, when the hunger strike ended, emphasised that the call is important to end the suffering. 

 

Rabia Ataş, one of those who took part in the vigil for her ill prisoner daughter Şivekar Ataş, said, "My daughter has decay in her heart valve, she also has other diseases. They take her to the hospital for a check-up every 15-20 days. One of my daughters joined the PKK in 2013. I don't know whether she is well or not. Since my daughter left, we wake up every day with the fear of getting bad news from her. But we cannot get any news from her. The health condition of my daughter in prison is not good anyway."

 

Stating that they were in search of justice to break the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan and to ensure his physical freedom, Rabia Ataş added, "We wanted this isolation to be broken. Now a step has been taken, we hope that better things will happen from now on. We have been waiting for peace for many years. Blood cannot be cleaned with blood. Our leader has taken a step, and the people are already behind their leader. The PKK also took a step by declaring a ceasefire. But peace cannot be one-sided. A step must also be taken by the state. Because it is not only Kurdish children who are dying, but also Turkish children. If there is peace, my daughter in prison will be freed, I will be reunited with my daughter in the mountains. My longing will be fulfilled."

 

'WE WILL STRUGGLE UNTIL HONOURABLE PEACE'

 

Stating that her brother Hamdulsena Ada is in prison in Tekirdağ and has health problmes, Reşehat Ada stated that her brother is taken to hoptial everyo month. Noting that the release of her brother, who has been in prison for 16 years, was postponed for 6 months, Reşahat Ada said, "We were happy as a family because his sentence was over. This time they are not releasing my brother. They do not release him because he said he is not regret his case."

 

Expressing that their struggle will continue until honourable peace and justice is achieved, Reşahat Ada said, "Our leader and the PKK have taken a step, now it is the state's turn. I am calling on the President and the Minister of Justice to take a step. They need to take a step too. Steps should be taken so that no mother should cry. Neither Kurdish nor Turkish mothers should cry. We are against this oppression, we do not accept oppression. Let the mothers of Turks and Kurds come and join hands today. Because we are fighting for peace, brotherhood and justice."

 

'EVERYONE HAS PAIN BUT WE SHOULD JOIN HANDS'

 

Sulhiye Saruhan, mother of Mahsum Saruhan, who is imprisoned in Tekirdağ Prison, said that she has not been able to see her son for 6 months because he is in a remote prison. Sulhiye Saruhan, who stated that she could only visit the prison once a year due to economic and health conditions, said, "As if arresting them is not enough, they exile them far away from their families. In this way, they persecute both the prisoner and the family. I miss my son very much, do you know what it is like to have a part of oneself far away from oneself? When I eat, I think of him, when I drink water, I think of him. I married off 2 of my children, he could not be with us. We had a mourning, he couldn't be with us. So a part of us was always missing. My eyes are always looking for him. We have seen it, no one else should see it, enough is enough. Let there be peace, no more bloodshed. No mother should cry. We don't begrudge the Turks either, they have their own pain just like us. But we say 'let's join hands'. When we mothers join hands, no obstacle can stand in front of us, we can break all obstacles."

 

'OPEN THE DOORS OF PRISONS'

 

Emphasising that Abdullah Öcalan's call is a very important step, Sulhiye Saruhan added, "Abdullah Öcalan's step is very important. We are with our Leader until the end and we are after our cause. We will fulfil our part. Abdullah Öcalan has taken a step. Now it is the state that must take a step. The PKK has also declared a ceasefire and is not using weapons. But the state's attacks are still continuing, these attacks must stop. There has been 46 years of war, and now all political parties must fulfil their responsibilities to stop it. Enough is enough, let the doors of the dungeons be opened, let there be peace."

 

MA / Heval Önkol