In response to Abdullah Öcalan’s call, the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla took a historic step. A magnificent ceremony was held in front of the Casene Cave in the Raperin Region of Southern Kurdistan. I wrote about the details of the ceremony yesterday. However, as soon as the ceremony ended, my excitement and that of a few journalist friends multiplied. It’s hard to describe, but I want to share it.
Leaving their precious behind…
When the ceremony ended, we learned that our interview requests, which we had submitted days earlier, had been approved. The participants began to disperse. A sense of sadness was evident on everyone’s faces; they were leaving behind their precious that they wanted to embrace and take back to their homeland. Without a doubt that there was also some anger, as no legal steps were taken; if this had happened, they could have returned to the country together. Those who attended the ceremony were greatly encouraged, as there is a need to work and take responsibility to open up the democratic ground. The Group for Peace and Democratic Society called on all segments of society to become more involved in the process. Now is the time to get back and work. But the sadness on faces is still evident.
Approval for a meeting with the guerrillas granted
My situation is a little different. In a moment, we will meet with the guerrillas who have burned their weapons. I am filled with excitement. Deep down, I even want the crowd to disperse as soon as possible. The moment I had been eagerly awaiting for days finally arrived. However, the tense situation does not go unnoticed. I don’t know why, but I think the PUK security units, aware of the gravity of the situation, have taken excessive precautions. Although we obtained the necessary permits, the PUK security forces try to remove us from the area. It’s not just me; international media organizations also face the same situation.
Fortunately, we moved to a relatively suitable area shortly after the arrival of KCK officials. However, tensions arose once again shortly thereafter. In fact, this situation repeated itself several times. Other journalists who noticed that we were going to the guerrillas also wanted to stay with us. They had every right to do so; after such a ceremony, every journalist would want to know what the guerrillas think and to get the first chance to interview them. However, there was no solution; when security forces refused to be persuaded, they had no choice but to leave the area.
No hugging either!
We and four different media outlets began to wait. We learned that only ten guerrillas would remain in the area for interviews. After the crowd dispersed, 20 guerrillas left the area in groups of four or five. Every guerrilla fighter who passed in front of us and left the area bid farewell with a warm smile and a greeting. I saw Şiyar Dersim in the second group to leave the area. He approached and asked, “Hey, Comrade Barış, how are you?” I hadn’t seen him before, and while I was wondering how he recognized me, he said, “We’ve been watching you. I wish you success.” We hugged. At that moment, a security officer stepped in: “No way!” I get very angry. I make nothing of it. The MIT (Turkish intelligence service), TSK (Turkish Armed Forces), and all the guests have left—what is this measure for? But I don’t want to escalate the argument and risk having our permits revoked. After a quiet farewell, the group leaves the area.
The area was completely cleared, and 20 guerrillas left the area with security measures in place. Immediately afterwards, journalists began to be taken to the cave one by one. Every team that came up to conduct interviews came down smiling, as if they had shaken off the fatigue of the day.
I was immersed in my notes, preparing for my interview, when I heard an official behind me say, “It’s ANF’s turn.” I jumped to my feet, exchanged glances with my cameraman, and within seconds we were on the move. We began climbing the stairs that the guerrilla had just taken. The stairs we were climbing now had taken on a whole new meaning. As I moved forward with these thoughts in mind, I realized later on that it was 45 degrees Celsius. We had been on the move since early morning and climbed stairs carrying about 20 kilos of technical equipment. But I didn’t feel the slightest bit tired; in fact, the excitement I had been feeling for days reached its peak.
‘Be quiet!’
A few steps later, before reaching the entrance to the cave, I noticed a journalist standing in a small flat area among some small willow trees on the left. Directly opposite him, I could just make out the face of Besê Hozat through the willow branches. I couldn’t hear her because of the distance, but she was saying a lot with her gestures and facial expressions. My cameraman put his hand to his lips and said, “Be quiet,” and we continued. A few steps later, I saw the guerrillas standing right in front of the cave.
Naturally protected cave
The cave is naturally protected between two huge rocks approximately 70–80 meters apart. When you climb the stairs, there is an entrance approximately 10–15 meters high and 3-4 meters wide on the right. It narrows as you go inside. Just in front of the cave is a small flat area where a few guerrillas are sitting on white plastic chairs placed there for them. Inside the cave, there are 4–5 guerrillas sitting across from each other.
‘The free press is here’
When we entered their field of view, they all stood up. ‘The free press is here,’ said Behzat Çarçel. They sent their greetings to everyone and wished success. I immediately passed on the greetings I had collected along the way. We were received very warmly. At that moment, we greeted each of the guerrillas in the cave individually. The small talk didn’t last long; before we reached the cave, the recorded ceremony had already been broadcast to the world. They immediately asked us how the ceremony looked. It’s not hard to imagine that the ceremony that excited us so much was even more exciting for them.
It’s hard to explain, but every guerrilla has great self-confidence and determination in their eyes. They know exactly what they are doing and what they want to do. They constantly express that they are prepared for any eventuality. I think the reason for their dignified demeanor at the ceremony, which gave one goose bumps, is this clear stance and determination. It may sound like a slogan, but their every movement is very impressive.
Soon, my cameraman began technical preparations. I joined Tekoşin Ozan and Behzat Çarçel, spokespersons for the Group for Peace and Democratic Society, who were my guests, in the area set up for the interview just in front of the cave. They sat side by side directly across from me. The ceremony area below was partially visible between their shoulders. I gathered my attention and began the interview. I won’t go into the details of the interview, as it had already been published by the time I wrote this article.
‘The unyielding stance of Seyit Rıza in her eyes’
After the interview, we return to the cave. While we char, Besê Hozat, whose interview has ended, also arrives. She enters with a smile on her face and says, “Welcome, comrade Barış,” and we embrace. I remembered a journalist friend of mine, who saw Besê Hozat during the ceremony, saying “There is the unyielding stance of Seyit Rıza in her eyes”. It was exactly like that; she never bowed her head.
‘Her Bijî’
Besê Hozat welcomed the greetings sent to her with great joy and asked us to convey her warm greetings and love. Her first question was how the ceremony looked. I tried to show her on my phone the ceremony footage that had just been broadcast. The internet connection was weak, and the image froze at the moment when Besê Hozat was at the front and all the guerrillas were lined up behind her in a single row. “The friends have marched in with great discipline, her bijî,” she said. When I asked her for her thoughts on this step, she said, “We took political action. If the state doesn’t take steps, there will be no continuation. We are clear.” Referring to Devlet Bahçeli’s initiation of the process, she added, “The state has reached this point. The danger created by regional developments has been seen.” At a solemn moment in the conversation, a journalist arrives and begins an interview with Besê Hozat. We continue our conversation with the guerrillas in front of the cave. Everyone has shaken off the excitement of the ceremony and is talking about the work to be done to build a democratic society.
Armed with their belief in peace, democracy, freedom, and socialism
Unfortunately, there is not enough time to understand everything, but an official said that they would evacuate the area and that the press workers must leave. Now I understand those who left the area a short while ago. The guerrillas who have burned their weapons are armed with their belief in peace, democracy, freedom, and socialism. However, we must leave them behind and depart. I regret the lack of legal and judicial steps. But there is no time to dwell on that—it is time to say goodbye!
Surprise encounter
As I bid farewell to the guerrillas one by one, my eyes fall on a young guerrilla. While I try to remember, he asks, “Comrade Barış, did you come to Amed in 2012?” Yes, now I remember, Ethem! I used to go to Amed often when I was distributing newspapers.
On one of those trips, our paths crossed with Ethem in Amed (Diyarbakır). He hadn’t changed much, but I couldn’t recognize him in his guerrilla attire. When the opportunity to fight on democratic grounds was taken away, he decided to become a guerrilla. Now he’s leading the fight for democracy and peace. We hug tightly; I wish we had more time to talk, but we have to go.
Now I understand better those who had to leave the area a few hours ago. The weapons were burned, and the guerrillas took up the cause of peace and democracy, but since no legal and constitutional framework has been established, the conditions for a democratic struggle have not yet been created.
The red-hot barrel of a burning Kalashnikov
Time is running out, we have to go. The stairs ahead of us are looming large. We don’t want to go. We hug everyone. Besê Hozat bids us farewell, saying, “Take good care of yourselves. We have to work hard, you have to work hard. We must not abandon our leader.” We bid farewell, conveying her greetings and love to everyone! As we go down the stairs, we carry a great deal of hope with us. I feel like I am walking on the thin line between the mountain and the plain. When the stairs end, my eyes immediately fall on the cauldron where the weapons have been burned. The barrel of a burning Kalashnikov is red-hot, but this time it is not from bullets fired at the enemy, but from the fire lit by the guerrillas for a new revival, struggle, and peace…
Source: ANF News
