The meeting of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Imrali Delegation with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held under severe isolation for 26 years, on December 28, 2024 continues to set the agenda of the country. Abdullah Öcalan called on all political circles and social segments to take responsibility with the 7-point solution perspective announced to the public. 

 

While discussions on a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue continue, we turned the microphone to the relatives of the disappeared, who have been the most affected by the “security” policies implemented for nearly 50 years and have been struggling for justice since the 90s. 

 

İffet Mutaş, sister of Mehmet Tekdağ who was murdered on February 2, 1993 in Dörtyol neighborhood of Rezan (Bağlar) district of Amed (Diyarbakır) and Ali Tekdağ who was kidnapped on November 13, 1994 in front of Şekerbank in Dağkapı Square (Şêx Sêîd), underlined that the problems must be solved. Demanding that those responsible be punished, İffet Mutaş said, “I don't know what will happen or how, but peace will not come until the problems are solved. As relatives of the disappeared, we want the bodies of our relatives. Ali was my little brother. The cradle I rocked Mehmet in is still in front of my eyes... Mehmet left the house to go to the bakery and was shot in Bağlar Dört Yol. We took him to the airport wounded. Two planes took off while we were there, but they said 'no plane will take off due to fog'. My brother died near the airport. Ali was detained 19 times, arrested on the 20th and sentenced to 8 years in prison. They lost him after he was released from prison.” 

 

İffet Mutaş said that they have not forgotten the pain they were subjected to and added, “Their pain is not forgettable. We still want peace. Let the perpetrators be found, let the disappeared have a grave. A gravestone we can go to like other people. I will continue to fight until the killers are held accountable. We want the blood of young people to be spilled no more. We want peace, but under what conditions is important for us. Let there be negotiations under conditions that everyone will agree to and let peace be achieved.” 

 

'WHAT KIND OF PEACE?'

 

Remziye Bayram asked about the fate of her son Mehmet Şirin Bayram, who went to Bîra Zeyna village in Pasûr (Kulp) district of Amed as a guest on November 2, 1996 and was detained and never heard from again. “What happened to our children?” Remziye Bayram asked, ”I don't know what my son's crime was, I don't know what happened to him. Someone tell me what my son's crime is.” 

 

Remziye Bayram, who closely follows the public debates, said, “We want peace, but we don't believe in the peace of the state that bombs and fights everywhere. When they say peace, they add 'they will surrender'. How can we say 'yes' to such a peace? This kind of peace is meaningless. It says 'peace' here, but on the other hand it attacks Rojava and massacres civilians, journalists and SDF fighters there. It says 'peace', it strikes Rojava. It says 'peace' and strikes Iraq. Then it tells us 'we are brothers'. How can we accept this brotherhood? Who can accept such a peace? As long as it is like this, we will not forgive them.”  

 

Remziye Bayram underlined that the state and the government should take a step first and continued as follows: “If they take one step, we will take 10 steps. Even if we have a drop of blood, we would give it for peace. We would do it so that people would not die and there would be peace. We want real peace as soon as possible, we want no one to die, we want no one to be in prison, we want everyone inside and outside to live in peace.”

 

MA / Şirvan Şilan Çil