ÎDIR – The families of İpek Çiçek and Atanur Şahin, who lost their lives 5 months apart during the conflict, have expressed their support for the process and emphasised that physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan must be ensured now. 

 

Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society", which was made public on 27 February, continues to set the agenda of the country. The biggest supporters of the process initiated under the leadership of Abdullah Öcalan are the families who lost their relatives during the conflict.

 

One of these families is the Şahin family living in the center of Îdir (Iğdır) and the other is the Çiçek family living in the town of Xoşxeber (Hoşhaber). The children of Çiçek and Şahin families joined in political struggle together in the city. İpek died on 2 October 2011 in Çelê and Atanur Şahin died on 15 May 2011 in Qileban. 

 

KILLED IN AN AIR RAID

 

İpek Çiçek’s mother Amine Çiçek, 60, stated that her daughter had met the struggle at an early age and said her daughter joined PKK in 2009 saying, “Do not worry about me. This path is my path”. 

 

“One day, I heard on television that there was a big clash and some members were being killed. Suddenly I lost my balance and fell from the balcony, breaking my arm. After a while, they read the names of those who had been martyred. My daughter was among them. Geliyê Tiyarê was martyred with 36 of her friends as a result of an air attack. I told my crying children not to cry.”

 

'LET NO MORE OF OUR CHILDREN DIE'

 

Amine Çiçek said that they had brought her daughter's body to the town: “After the state came and broke the gravestone of my daughter” she said and stressed that their duty is to protect the path of their children. 

 

“There are mothers who lost 3-4 children on this path. Many lives have been lost, we want peace now. Yes, our children lost their lives, but no one else’s child should lose their life from now on. Mothers and fathers should not cry anymore. Neither our children nor the soldiers should die anymore.”

 

Referring to the process carried out in the context of the democratic solution of the Kurdish issue, Amine Çiçek concluded: "A lot has been gained thanks to the struggle for 50 years. In the past, we could not even say 'we are Kurds'. Thanks to this struggle, we have something today. For peace, steps must be taken to solve the problems. There is no solution with unilateral disarmament. The state still says 'one language, one race, one flag, one homeland'. There will be no peace without the state taking a step. I don't trust the state at all. I won't trust the state until the doors of the prisons are opened."

 

14 YEARS LOOKING FOR HIS FUNERAL

 

İpek Şahin's fellow fighter Atanur Şahin (Şoreş Serhat) was killed in an armed clash in the Qeşûra region of Qileban (Uludere) district of Şirnex (Şırnak) province on 18 May 2011. The family searched for the body for days, but 14 years later they still have not found it. 

 

Father Ahmet Şahin said that they went to the region after the clash but despite all their efforts they could not reach the body of their child. Ahmet Şahin said that they then went to Meletî (Malatya), but they learnt that there was no body there either. 

 

"All these years have passed and we still haven't found our body. The state is still asking me about my son," he said.  

 

Referring to the ongoing process, Ahmet Şahin said the call of Abdullah Öcalan is sake for everyone and he must be free. 

 

Ahmet Şahin listed their demands for peace: “If peace is to be talked about, the guns must be silenced. Peace and war are opposite things. Prisoners in prisons must be released. They call them 'terrorists'. If there is to be peace, the language must also change. The Kurdish language must be free in every area of life. We also want peace and we support this process. The state also needs to take steps for peace. The state needs to give the Kurds their rights and laws. We want everyone to support this process."