MELETÎ - After 30 years in prison, Kemal Demirbaş returned to his hometown of Meletî, saying, “I drew my strength to resist from Leader Apo and the martyrs.”

 

Kemal Demirbaş, who was released from Antalya Döşemealtı High Security Prison yesterday, has returned to his hometown of Meletî. After 30 years in prison, Demirbaş arrived in the rural Şemşîkan neighborhood of Argan district, where he was welcomed by residents. 

 

‘I DREW MY STRENGTH TO RESIST FROM LEADER APO’

 

Speaking at the welcome ceremony, where people chanted “Let the prisons be emptied, freedom for prisoners,” Kemal Demirbaş said: “I lived and resisted in my mother tongue throughout my life. I wrote and read in my mother tongue. This is our red line. When a person loses their mother tongue, they lose themselves." Expressing his happiness at being among the his people again after 30 years, Demirbaş said: “Resisting in prison is not easy. To resist in prison, you need to develop an extraordinary will to resist. This also requires a person to feel a responsibility toward their people. I humbly tried to do that myself. My greatest source of strength was Leader Apo. It was our martyrs. It was our people. I dreamed of reaching you like this, and now that dream has come true.”

 

WHO IS KEMAL DEMIRBAŞ?

 

Kemal Demirbaş was arrested in August 1996 in the Koyulhisar district of Sêwas. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Erzîrom State Security Court (DGM) and held in prisons in Erzîrom, Kayseri, Dîlok, Elbîstan and, most recently, Antalya Döşemealtı.