AMED – The Peace Mothers, who held their conference, gave the message that the freedom of the peoples passes through the physical freedom of Abdullah Ocalan. 

 

Peace Mothers held a conference on 18-19 October at ÇandAmed Congress Centre in Amed. After 12 years, many Peace Mothers from Kurdistan and Turkey attended the conference. The only demand that came to the fore at the conference was the physical freedom of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan. 

 

Sakine Demir emphasised that the streets must be filled for the process to succeed. Sakine Demir stressed that Abdullah Öcalan should sit freely at the table and the problems should be solved through dialogue and pointed out that nothing can be solved with death. 

 

'NO ONE CAN BAN OUR LANGUAGE'

 

Ayşe Aybek drew attention to the importance of the mother tongue, stating that she had many illnesses but could not go to the hospital because she did not speak Turkish. Ayşe Aybek reminded that Numan Kurtulmuş, who prevented the Peace Mothers from speaking in Kurdish in the Parliament, spoke in Kurdish in Amed and said: "No one can ban our language. We want justice. Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan has done his part. Our lungs are burnt, no one else's lungs should be burnt. Those in prison should be released.”

 

'WE ARE READY FOR PEACE'

 

Pointing out to the attitude of the state Ayşe Alağaş said: "What about our prisoners, what about our municipalities, what about our language, what about the freedom of the guerrilla in the mountains, what about the freedom of our president? You cannot fool the Kurds with rhetoric. We are standing up for peace. Whatever the mothers and Kurds can do, they are ready for this process. We are ready for peace.”

Fatma Çığ called for raising the struggle for the construction of a free and democratic society and said: "Let Kurds be free, let there be peace. Why don't you bring peace to this country? Enough with death and arrests. We want peace. Our lungs are burnt, no one else should be burnt.”

 

'WE WANT OUR LEADER'

 

Şemsiye Bağdu stated that they do not believe in the state and said: "Even if the state does not take any steps, I do not believe that all this bloodshed will be in vain. Our children fought without interest or benefit. They sacrificed their lives for their will, their land, their language. I have faith in their blood, we will succeed. Turkey has to take a step. We are behind our president. Despite the great price we have paid, we want peace and justice. We want our president. No more blood of young people should be shed.”

 

Perihan Artuk said: "We want our Leader, our language, culture. We did not invade anyone's country. Our leader says 'Peace' and we say peace.”

 

Zennude Yüce from Agirî and Nuriye Turan from Bedlîs Tetwan also stated that they were behind Abdullah Öcalan and called for peace.