Amed residents who attended a memorial event held in memory of Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun, founding members of the PKK, said, “The Kurds and their leader have done their part for peace. The people no longer want this war, we are ready for peace.”
Following Abdullah Öcalan’s February 27 ‘Call for Peace and a Democratic Society’, the PKK held its 12th Congress on May 5-7. In a statement regarding the results of the congress on May 12, the PKK announced that Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun, members of its founding cadre, had been martyred. Following the announcement, memorial events were held for Altun and Kaytan in many cities across Kurdistan.
Participants in the memorial event held in Amed (tr: Diyarbakır) shared their demands for peace with ANF.
Sakine Behçet: We respectfully remember those who made this process possible and gave their lives for it. We want peace. The Kurds and their leaders have embraced the peace process.
Our only request is that they too, take a step forward. We will be everywhere for peace. We will fight for peace. We will continue to fight until peace comes to these lands.
We no longer want anyone to die or mothers to weep. We do not want either guerrillas or soldiers to die. Both guerrillas and soldiers are our children.
Menice Yenir: We took steps toward peace; we want peace and equality. We are always ready for peace and equality. We have always extended our hands for peace. We want this war to end now. We don't want mothers to cry anymore. We are here thanks to the martyrs who gave their lives for this cause. We are here today thanks to their struggle. We believe in them and their struggle.
Fesih Altun: We consider the new peace process to be very important. The people want peace, but they have no faith in this system. Our only wish is for this process to proceed correctly and honestly.
We want this century-long war to end immediately. We want the dirty war aimed at annihilating the Kurdish people to end. The people no longer want this war.
The Kurdish people are fighting hard for peace. The Kurdish people want the war to end. This reality must be acknowledged. We respectfully commemorate all the comrades who have fallen in the struggle for peace.
Halime Akman: We are following the path of Leader Öcalan. We are moving forward on the path opened by our martyrs. We will not let Leader Öcalan’s words fall on deaf ears.
Let everyone know that, as the Kurdish people, we are fighting for peace. Turks must also want peace. Neither their children nor ours should die. We brought our children into this world so they could live.
I appeal to Turkish mothers; let us join hands and fight together for peace.
