Mehmet Guler is the father of Aziz, who lost his life in Rojava while fighting against DAESH (ISIS).

Aziz Guler was a member of the United Freedom Forces (BÖG) and lost his life fighting against DAESH in Rojava. His father Mehmet had to wait at the border for 59 days to retrieve his son’s body.

Mehmet Guler is a candidate for the HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party) in Istanbul. “We will be the voice of the revolutionaries who have fallen in Rojava in the Parliament. - he said - Rojava is our second home”.

Guler spoke to Mezopotamya Agency journalist Muhammet Doğru and said: “I stand as a candidate for the HDP in memory of Aziz”.

Originally from Bingöl, Guler is standing in the Istanbul 2nd District on 24 June.

Talking about the time when his son Aziz lost his life, Mehmet Guler said: “I went to Suruç with my other son Ersin Umut. We wanted to cross from Suruç into Kobane. In that process, permission was obtained from the district governorship. After we got permission from the district governor, we went to Kobane”.

In Kobane, Guler recalled, “we went where the comrades of Aziz were. Then my son returned from there. I stayed there for 59 days. This time was one of great pain for us. A young man, a child, went to fight against DAESH for humanity. We had to wait for 59 days before being able to get Aziz’s body to our land”.

In memory of Aziz

Guler said that his son's death had a great impact on him. He said he never thought of becoming a deputy candidate. He added that Aziz's friends wanted him to stand as a candidate for the HDP. “I did not think again. They said that we should continue to fight in his memory in another way. I said okay. And I become a candidate for the HDP when the early election was called. I continue to struggle”.

Guler added that his reason for being a candidate for the HDP is because “I think the HDP always keeps its promises. I share the vision of the HDP for women's rights, human rights, students. HDP is the party of the peoples of Turkey; Laz, Circassians, Alevi, Armenians. It is everyone's party. The HDP is now the party of Turkey. For this I am part of the HDP. But as a Kurd, as an Alevi I am very pleased to be part of it”.

Rojava is our second homeland

Guler ended the interview with these words: "We will be the voice of the oppressed, the workers in Parliament. We will be the voice of the revolutionaries who have fallen in Rojava. That's our second homeland. The memory of Aziz, his comrades are there. We lost at least 11 comrades of his there. We were unable to bring them to Turkey. We will fight to be the voice of the people”.