The passing of DEM Party Imralı Delegation member and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Sırrı Süreyya Önder on 3 May, after 18 days of struggle for life in the intensive care unit of Florence Nightingale Hospital due to a heart condition, has plunged the country into mourning. Describing himself as a peace laborer, Önder earned admiration across various segments of society with his colorful personality, sense of humor, and ability to bring even the most distant people together. Despite doctors’ warnings about the seriousness of his condition, no one expected his death to come so soon. The hope that he would stand up again and, in his unique style, say "I was just joking" lasted until the very end.

One of those who never lost hope was Gani Rüzgar Şavata, a friend of Sırrı Süreyya Önder, as well as a director and actor. Visiting the hospital for 18 days and keeping vigil for hours, Şavata is among those who couldn't accept this early farewell. "We were supposed to shoot my movie," said Şavata in an interview with ANF. He added that he had known Önder for 35 years. "I’m from Malatya, he’s from Adıyaman. We taught him cinema, he taught us politics. But his mind, his ideas, his thoughts, his writing were far ahead of us. He was a pioneer, a pacifist, and just."

Comparing Önder to the legendary figure Kawa the blacksmith, Şavata said that the peace torch was brought to life with him. He said that Önder always dreamed of an honorable peace and united people along that path: "We envied him, we admired him. His daughter Ceren tried to describe him with all the words she could. She gave the headlines in verse. It’s now up to us to fill in the story. He was the torch of the Newroz fire. He was the courage of Kawa the blacksmith. As fierce as a samurai, but a warrior for peace. He used to say, ‘We’re tired of dying, but some are not tired of killing.’ Believe me, you couldn’t place Sırrı Süreyya Önder on either side of the scale of justice. He would only be the needle of the scale. He said, ‘No matter the form of conflict, there is always hope for peace.’ He was the one who said, ‘They always saw the Kurds as nails. As nails grow, they cut them. But we are not nails—we are flesh and bone.’"

Sırrı Süreyya’s only wish was to see peace

Şavata said: "He always teased me. I’m two years older than him. He would say, ‘Şavata, one day I’ll shoot your film. On one condition: you live at least 100 years.’ And I would reply, ‘Then you’ll have to live 120 years.’ And he’d say, of course, he would, because this country needs peace, and it needs us."

Şavata wrote in the memory book at the hospital: "This country needs you more than me. You get up, and I’ll lie down." He added: "It was a very early goodbye. I can’t accept it. He took on a huge task and worked for peace. Now the task of achieving the peace he carried is on our shoulders, especially on the shoulders of the people and our youth, who are our future. This regime, which is doomed to collapse, has been in power for 23 years; only with the youth born under this regime can peace and hope come. These young people have never seen any other government. They’ve seen only pain, sorrow, wounds, and blood. Sırrı Süreyya’s only wish was to see peace, and we will fulfill that wish together."

Şavata also pledged to fulfill Önder’s wish to make a film about parliament: "None of his dreams will remain incomplete. I will make a film about Sırrı Süreyya Önder, one that tells his story. Because his struggle was different. We will keep his memory alive, walking with his tireless determination. We will carry his hope for peace everywhere."