NEWS CENTER - The Justice Watch protests, which is launched to demand "Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan and a solution to the Kurdish issue", is on its 100th day. Prisoner relatives said: "Even if 100 years pass, we will not give up Ocalan's freedom."

 

The Justice Watch protests, which started in various cities to demand the physical freedom of PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan and the democratic solution to the Kurdish issue, have entered its 100th day in Amed and Mersin. The activists, who continued the Justice Watch with determination, stated that they would continue the action until they get results.

 

AMED

 

The Justice Watch, which was initiated in Amed under the leadership of the Prisoner Families Solidarity Association (TUAY-DER) with the demand of "Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan, solution to the Kurdish issue", has entered its 100th day. Prisoners' relatives, who attended the ongoing protest at the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Rêzan (Bağlar) District Organization building, called for the end of isolation on the 100th day of their protest, wearing aprons with the words "Isolation is a crime against humanity". Emphasizing that they will continue their actions until PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan's physical freedom is achieved, the relatives of the prisoners gave the message: "Even if a hundred days pass, we will not give up our Leader's freedom."

 

'WE WANT TO HEAR FROM OUR LEADER'

 

Meryem Turan, one of the relatives of the prisoners who welcomed the month of Ramadan with the demand for justice, greeted the mothers and relatives of the prisoners at the Justice Watch. Turan said: “We have been on guard duty for a hundred days today. We will continue our guard duty until the isolation is abolished. We have been on duty for a hundred days, if it is not abolished, we will stay for another hundred days. This is my call to all mothers, let's take care of mothers, take our place with mothers with great strength and give our support." 

Noting that they took part in the Justice Watch to end the isolation of Abdullah Ocalan and the prisoners, Rabia Ataş said: “If the isolation on our leader is abolished, the isolation on our children will also be abolished. Let them meet with him and bring justice. Let him meet with his lawyer and family. Let's get some news from him. If something were to happen, we wouldn't know about it. We are sitting down to hear from him, so that this isolation can be broken as soon as possible."

 

'OUR VOICE MUST BE HEARD'

 

Meryem Soylu, a relative of the prisoner who wants their voices to be heard before the bodies come out of prisons, stated that they will continue their struggle to end the isolation. Reiterating his demands for freedom for Abdullah Ocalan, Soylu said: "We do not want him to be in prison anymore, let him be free and come to his people."

 

'IF OUR LEADER IS NOT FREE, WE ARE NOT FREE'

 

Prisoner relative Reşahat Ada said: "Unless Mr. Ocalan is free, our children will not be free either. Today, we want Mr. Ocalan's freedom. Let him meet with his family and lawyers. Just as we go to see our children, Mr. Ocalan's family and lawyers must also meet. One hundred days are behind us. Even if a thousand days pass and they do not produce a solution for our Leader, we will continue our action."

 

Calling all mothers, prisoner relative Afife Kartal said: "Let's stop this war. Unless our leader is free, neither the Kurdish nor the Turkish people will be free. We want the freedom of our leader. If he is free, our lands will also be free."

 

'WE WILL NOT GIVE UP EVEN IF HUNDRED YEARS LAST'

 

Relative of the prisoner Nazime Boltan, who demanded the opening of solution channels for the Kurdish issue, said: “If the isolation on our leader is abolished, the isolation on our children will also be abolished. Let them find a solution as soon as possible, so that our children can regain their freedom."

 

Prisoner relative Kudret Aslan also called for a solution, said: "Everyone must stand up as soon as possible."

 

Aklime Hanas, who attended the Justice Watch in solidarity with the relatives of the prisoners, said: “Their demand is the freedom of our leader. If he is free, the Kurdish and Turkish people will also be free. Unless our leader is free, no one will be free. We call on all mothers, we have been here for a hundred days, we will stay for a hundred years, we will not get up as long as the isolation is not broken."

 

MERSIN

 

Another center that has been on Justice Watch for 100 days is Mersin. Ergin Altuntaş, from the Mothers for Peace Assembly and Çukurova TUAY-DER Co-chair, evaluated the protest initiated by Çukurova Association for Assistance with Detainees and Convict Families (Çukurova TUAY-DER), and said that the struggle of the mothers will not end.

 

Meryem Erbey, a member of the Mothers for Peace Assembly, first drew attention to the ongoing hunger strikes in prisons. Erbey said: "If our children start a death fast after this election, of course their mothers will not sit and watch this situation."

 

'IF NECESSARY, WE WILL ATTEND THE WATCH FOR ANOTHER 200 DAYS'

 

Erbey said that they will not stop unless they bring justice and peace to Turkey and said: “The Turkish state must abolish the isolation on the Leader and take steps for peace. The key to the war in the Middle East is in the hands of Mr. Abdullah Ocalan. Both the Palestinian war and the Ukrainian war depend on this. If the Leader is released, if he is free, I believe that justice will come to the Middle East. We have been on justice watch for a hundred days. If necessary, we will join the justice watch for another 200 days. We will continue our struggle as long as the Turkish state does not respond to us."

 

Kadriye Oğuz, a member of the Mothers for Peace Assembly emphasized that mothers are fighting for the whole world. Oğuz stated that the state must take steps towards their demands and said: “First, a meeting must be held with our Leader. The key to peace is in the hands of Mr. Ocalan. Everything would be easier if we had a meeting with him. Everyone needs to hold our hand and support us. No one commits the tyranny that Erdoğan committed. We want peace. We will struggle unless we find a solution. Turkish and Arab mothers must also come and stand shoulder to shoulder with us. They should ask, 'Why are our children dying?'" 

 

Zeliha Kaya, mother of a prisoner, noted that her children, who were on hunger strike in prison, were forced to be handcuffed in the hospital, were not examined, and were thrown into single cells, and said: "Don't let our children's funerals come. We do not want anything from the state. We want what is rightfully ours. We are calling out to state officials, respond to our demands."

 

'RESISTANCE WILL CONTINUE' 

 

Çukurova TUAY-DER Co-Chair Altuntaş pointed out the lack of news from PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan and said that the only purpose of the rotating hunger strikes and justice watches is to break the isolation imposed on Abdullah Ocalan. Noting that the justice watch actions continue determinedly, Altuntaş said: “Mothers, prisons and our people are resilient. That's why we will embrace this action until the end, even if it is 200 days, not a hundred. As long as the isolation is not abolished, the resistance in the prisons and the resistance of the people will continue. There is no such thing as a thousand people armed with the spirit of struggle stepping back. This resistance will continue until our last mother, our last institution official remains."

 

 

MA / Eylem Akdağ - Yüsra Batıhan