Although the Kurdish Freedom Movement, responding to the call of Abdullah Öcalan, has taken the first steps within its responsibility, the state still acts hesitantly in taking action. The Turkish state has so far failed to take steps that would satisfy the people, and reactions against it continue.
Türkan Ildız, whose two sons are imprisoned, emphasized that they want peace but that peace is only possible through mutual steps. Ildız, who spoke to ANF, also stated that she opposes the imposition of remorse.
Like other peoples, we want to live freely on our land
Türkan Ildız, originally from Mardin (Mêrdîn), said that due to pressure they were forced to leave their village and now struggle to live in Istanbul. She continued: “We are from Mazıdağı in Mardin. We have been living in Istanbul for 14 years. Living here is very difficult for Kurdish mothers. Because we do not know Turkish, we experience great hardship. We want to return to our land, to our village, to our water. We want to return to the land of our fathers and mothers and live freely. Like other peoples in the world, we want to return to our land and live freely. Here we are neither free nor at ease.
We moved here. My eldest son was studying at Dicle University in Diyarbakır (Amed). During the self-administration clashes, he went to Nusaybin. There he was wounded. After being wounded, he was taken into custody and is now imprisoned. They constantly exile him to different prisons. I followed him to Erzincan, to Erzurum, to Tokat, to Bodrum, to Diyarbakır, to Mardin, to Istanbul Silivri Prison. Of course I will go, because our children are our honor.
The prisoners in the prisons are our honor, our future, our hope. We want our children to be released from prisons in days of freedom, to come back from the mountains.
My son Haydar has had liver cancer for two years. My other son, İbrahim Halil, is also in Tekirdağ Prison. He has been sentenced to two aggravated life imprisonments. He has been held in a solitary cell for five months. The living conditions are very harsh.”
One of my sons is missing, he was being followed by the police
Türkan Ildız also stated that one of her children is missing. She said that after the court sentenced him to 25 years in prison, the family was subjected to daily police harassment and surveillance, and that they have not heard from her son for four years. She continued: “The name of my missing son is Mehmet Zeki. He was imprisoned for one year. After that, he was placed under judicial control and signed in for six years. At the end of those six years, he was sentenced to 25 years. He was under surveillance every day. The police raided our home daily, asking, ‘Where is Mehmet Zeki?’ Sometimes we said ‘in the hometown,’ sometimes ‘at work.’ Each time we gave a different answer. They followed him constantly. Around our house there were always black, unmarked vehicles.
We have not heard from him for four years. We do not know if he is alive or not. We do not know whether he fled somewhere or was abducted by the state. We wait every day for news of him. Was he killed, or is he alive? We want to know.
We want this process to succeed; maybe then we will learn the fate of my son. What we most strongly suspect is that he was abducted by those black, unmarked vehicles around the house. The state should have sent us some information. If he is alive, we should know he is alive; if he was killed, we should be informed of his death. I do not believe he went away on his own. If he had, during these four years he would have found a way to send us some message.”
We do not accept remorse
Türkan Ildız also opposed the state’s imposition of remorse on prisoners, saying that she herself could not accept such an approach: “Now, expecting someone who has been in prison for 30 years to feel remorse is not logical at all. You keep him inside for 30 years because he demanded his rights. You have taken thirty years of his life. How can you expect him to feel remorse? There is no acceptable side to this. I would not accept it myself, and neither would my children.”
Mothers want peace
Türkan Ildız said that steps must be taken in the peace process, yet the state has failed to act: “The peace process has begun. Our children must now be set free. As mothers, we want peace. Of course, steps must be taken. Until now, not a single step has been taken. When the peace process began, we were hopeful, but our hopes are fading because no steps have been taken so far.
The weapons were also burned, yet the state has not taken a step. I want to say it again: as mothers, we want peace. They say, ‘we are brothers,’ and we too want brotherhood. We do not have great demands; we want brotherhood, peace, and equality.
Two of my sons are in prison, and one has been missing for four years. As a mother, I want to be reunited with my children. If there is to be peace, we must embrace our children. We want steps to be taken immediately and urgently. Steps must be taken so that our children can be free, so that we can embrace them.”
Finally, Türkan Ildız added: “If there is peace, then the guns must fall silent. If there is peace, the practice of appointing trustees must end. If there is peace, freedoms must expand, and the oppression on the Kurdish people must come to an end. I want very much to believe in the peace process; but I do not see sincerity.”
Source: ANF News
