The Democratic Regions Party (DBP) and Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) organized a “Freedom for Peace” rally in Mersin on Sunday.

The rally was attended by people from Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay, as well as representatives of political parties, civil society organizations, members of the Peace Mothers Assembly and activists from the Free Women's Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA).

A minute of silence was followed by songs of resistance by Kurdish musician Kadir Çat.

Emrullah Şam, speaking on behalf of the Rally Organizing Committee, said, “Let no one die. Our aim is peace and freedom.” 

DEM Party Mersin Provincial Co-Chair Bedriye Kuş greeted the people and said, “We will make the voice of peace heard in Ankara.”

Speaking on behalf of the Free Women's Movement, DBP Women's Assembly Spokesperson Berivan Bahçeci emphasized the importance of Abdullah Öcalan’s physical freedom and vowed to continue their struggle to this end. Citing Öcalan, she stressed that there can be no free society without free women.

DBP Co-Chair Keskin Bayındır criticized the government’s “daily coups against the Kurdish people and attacks against Rojava and four parts of Kurdistan” amid ongoing talks for peace.

“This is a lie which the people here do not believe or accept,” he underlined.

Bayındır also spoke against the Turkish officials’ international efforts to eliminate the gains of the Kurdish people: “We have known their politics for a century, hundreds of thousands of young people have died. We will not allow this issue to be exploited. We will always be on the streets and resist. We will spread our demand for freedom and peace everywhere.”

Referring to Öcalan’s messages during his recent meetings with the DEM Party İmralı Delegation, Bayındır called on everyone to assume responsibility to achieve a democratic solution in the country.

“Mr. Öcalan is preparing for a solution, while the government is preparing for major operations. The Kurdish people and their friends will not give way to your war operations. We will organize the will for peace and freedom everywhere. The day is the day of freedom. It is time to stand up and march until Mr. Öcalan's physical freedom is ensured. We will triumph,” Bayındır stated.

Speaking after, DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları condemned the increasingly ongoing detention operations and the usurpation of municipalities through government-appointed trustees, calling it “a political coup and depriving the people of their right to elect and be elected”.

Underlining the importance of the struggle for peace, Hatimoğulları said that a solution to the Kurdish question will also pave the way for democracy in Turkey.

Hatimoğulları strongly condemned the deadly Turkish attacks against journalists, paying tribute to Aziz Köylüoğlu who was killed in a Turkish drone attack in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on 27 January and Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin who were killed in a targeted Turkish airstrike in Rojava on 19 December 2024.

The DEM Party Co-Chair reiterated their demand for the lifting of the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı Prison in order for him to be able to work more comfortably and meet everyone.

Hatimoğulları concluded: "While peace is being widely discussed and everyone eagerly awaits a message from Imrali, what is the government doing? What is its solution plan? What is AKP’s plan for a solution ? We expect them to take concrete and credible steps. We have stated this at every opportunity, and we will continue to do so. Mr. Öcalan is preparing for a historic call, and he is doing this for peace. The DEM Party wants peace. The Kurdish people want peace, the Alawites want peace, the opposition wants peace. What does the government want?"