ZEYNEB ÎSA

Qamishlo (Qamishli)- The Imrali delegation, consisting of Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) MPs Sırrı Süreyya Önder and Pervin Buldan, DEM Party co-chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, Ahmet Türk, DEM Party Istanbul MP Cengiz Çiçek and lawyer Faik Özgür Erol from Asrin Law Office, held the third meeting with Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan in the prison island of Imrali on February 27, 2025.

After the meeting, the Imralı Delegation held a press conference in Istanbul on the same day to convey the “historic call” from Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan.

“We stand by the call for peace by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan,” said the members of the Council of Martyrs Families in Qamishlo, calling on the Turkish state to conduct a fair process.

‘We stand by our leader’

Şaziya Îbrahim, a member of the council, told NuJINHA that they always stood by Abdullah Öcalan. “Many years passed until we saw a photo of leader Apo on TV. The Turkish state must know very well that the Kurdish people do not take a step back. As the mothers of martyrs, we say that we have given our hearts to this struggle and we always stand by our leader. No mother wants her children to die or see bloodshed. We stand by our leader for peace and the recognition of the rights of the Kurds.”

‘We want to live freely’

Şaziya Îbrahîm wants to live freely in a peaceful country and demands physical freedom for Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan. “As the Kurdish people, we demand our rights. We want to live freely in a peaceful country. Everyone should join hands and build a new Türkiye. The Turkish state should know very well that a new Türkiye cannot be built without the Kurds. The Turkish state has already started a new process, wanting the PKK to lay down their arms while carrying out attacks on North and East Syria.”

“We will never give up our struggle for freedom,” Şaziya Îbrahîm emphasized. “We will keep struggling until we take back our rights. We call on the Turkish state to conduct a fair process. It should not conduct genocidal attacks on the Kurdish people anymore. We demand an immediate release of our leader.”

‘Our leader must be free and take part in the congress’

Hêvî Seyid felt very excited when she saw the photo of Abdullah Öcalan on TV. “The message of leader Apo was read and we saw his photo. We were waiting for that day with great excitement. I cried when I saw his photo. In the message, leader Apo said that all groups should lay down their arms, and the PKK should dissolve itself.  This decision is difficult for us, mothers of martyrs. Since our leader made this decision, we think that it is the right decision. We stand by the decision made by our leader. Leader Apo also calls on the PKK to convene their congress. We say that there will be no congress without leader Apo, and that our leader must be free and take part in the congress.”