As the echoes of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" made on 27 February continue, Kurdish people continue to express their demands for the call to be answered and for the state to take concrete steps. One of them is Herdem Aslan, who lives in the Giyadîn (Diyadin) district of Agirî (Ağrı) and lost two children in the Kurdish freedom struggle.

 

Aslan, who has been fighting in the Kurdish political movement for many years, said, "Our leader has once again called for peace. It is time for the state to take a concrete step." Stating that peace can only be possible with the will for dialogue and solution, Aslan participated in all the events held throughout the year, from Newroz to Abdullah Öcalan's birthday, wearing yellow, red and green clothes. Aslan called for the release of Öcalan and said, "If our leader is released, all prisoners will be released. We are behind our leader until the last drop of our blood."

 

SHE LOST 2 SONS

 

Herdem Aslan said that her eldest son Nizamettin Aslan was one of the first people to join the PKK in Giyadîn in 1994. She said, "He was a very intelligent and hardworking. His physical build was also far above his age. He used to read a lot of books back then. The last book he read was a book about the persecution of the people. The more he read, the better he understood what was being done. When he was studying at boarding school, he decided to join the PKK in winter and went to Mount Tendürek alone. Since the winters here are very cold and the snow falls a lot, he was buried under the snow when he went to join the PKK members on Mount Tendürek. Luckily, passers-by found him. They took him and treated him when he was about to freeze. As soon as he recovered a little, he got up again and joined the PKK. From that day to this day, we have not heard from him again."

 

Herdem Aslan said that his other son Turan Aslan joined the PKK at the age of 25 while he was studying at university. "Turan joined the PKK in 2012. In 2017, he died in Dêrsim (Tunceli). I went to Dêrsim after my son's death. They showed me the photographs of the bodies. I recognised him at first glance, but they wouldn't give his body to me. A few days later we went back, and this time they showed us the bodies in person. We took my son's body to Giyadîn and buried him."

 

Herdem Aslan added, "I want peace now, I want the blood to stop. Either we will all drown in this sea or we will come out together. Turkish mothers should also stand up and say 'stop' to this bloodshed. Kurdish rights must be given. Prisoners must be released, the language of our people must be free. Whatever rights the Turks have, we Kurds have the same rights and we want them. Despite everything, our heads are high and we are proud."

 

MA / Ömer Akın