Evin Çiftçi

 

ISTANBUL - Women who participated in the Kadıköy rally stated that Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan must be freed. They said, "Nothing can happen without Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan. Mr. Öcalan represents peace, freedom, and society."

 

On September 1, World Peace Day, Istanbul Labor, Peace, and Democracy Forces organized a spectacular rally at Kadıköy Dock Square with the participation of thousands of people. The rally, organized under the slogan "Democracy and Peace Will Win Against War and Exploitation," was filled with enthusiasm and hope. Slogans such as "Be Serok Jiyan Nabe" were frequently heard, and women's participation and demands drew attention. They emphasized that, for the peace process to proceed healthily, Öcalan must be freed and all political prisoners must be released.

 

‘The state must do its part’

 

Didem Yılmaz stated that peace has become more visible with the call for a Peace and Democratic Society and that they are in the fields to loudly voice their demands. Yılmaz said, "Today, we are here for the September 1st celebrations. However, today is a day when we can express our demands rather than celebrate. As women, we especially want to reiterate our support for the February 27th call. Peace, the passion for peace, and the hope for peace have always held great meaning for us women. With this call for a democratic society, we realized that peace has become more visible and possible. Mr. Öcalan played his part in this process and took the necessary steps. The talks continue. At this point, one of our most important demands is that the state also contribute to the peace and democratic society process. One of these steps is releasing political prisoners. We also want this process to be reflected in the constitution. That is why we are here today."

 

'The process cannot proceed unilaterally'

 

Emphasizing that the most important interlocutor of peace is Abdullah Öcalan, Didem Yılmaz stated that they will express their demand for peace more strongly every day starting from September 1 and said, "One of the biggest interlocutors of this peace process is Mr. Öcalan. He needs to be involved in the process, at the head of the table, to be able to express his voice, and to have the right to meet with all segments of society. For this reason, we welcome the October 1 call and expect it to be realized. Especially as women, we believe that this process cannot proceed by appealing to a single segment of society and that everyone should contribute to peace. The end of the war does not only mean the silence of the guns, and it should not be understood in this way. War means economic collapse, an increase in femicides, education and housing problems."

 

‘It prevents the process from moving forward in a healthy way’

 

On September 1, World Peace Day, Ayfer Fatma Çelik, the co-spokesperson of the DEM Party's provincial organizing committee, said that they were in the field to express their demands. She noted that their most important demand was the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan. Çelik said, "There is a peace process that has started in our country. Today, it is even more meaningful for us to bring this process to the forefront and explain its importance to everyone. The commission is meeting with everyone and listening to all aggrieved groups. However, the architect of this process is not in parliament, and his conditions have not improved. This is one of the biggest problems preventing the process from progressing healthily. Our people's main demand is for Mr. Öcalan to regain his freedom and communicate freely with his people. Currently, the state has not taken any concrete steps. There is a general distrust in society. If the state is serious about this process, the first step must be taken with Mr. Öcalan. We call on all peoples to: Peace is very important. To achieve it, everyone must make their voices heard."

 

‘We trust in our own struggle’

 

According to Münnever Yıldız, they took steps towards peace by relying on their own efforts. Stating that they have not seen any concrete steps from the state, Yıldız continued: "Peace means hope for everyone. Today is a day of hope for us. Women believe in peace because they believe in the path they are walking." Women trust themselves and their struggle. It's true that we may not yet see a step towards peace from the other side. However, we are already taking these steps, not by relying on them, but by relying on our own strength. This process is entirely our own. Nothing can happen without the Kurdish People's Leader, Abdullah Öcalan. This is the truth. Mr. Öcalan represents peace, freedom, and society."

 

‘Prisons must be emptied if there is to be peace’

 

DEM Party Zeytinburnu District Co-Chair Filiz Öz emphasized the need for legal amendments, especially those affecting women, and stressed the importance of establishing a democratic society. She stated, "Many women are murdered every day, and unfortunately, this continues. On September 1, World Peace Day, we demand that laws against women be changed. We see that violence against women is increasing in every way. For this reason, we believe the government should immediately enact laws that protect women, and the Istanbul Convention should be reinstated. As a Black Sea person, I say this: a democratic life must be established in our country urgently. Yes, a process has started. It started with Mr. Bahçeli's call for Mr. Öcalan to come to Parliament and discuss and solve this problem. Mr. Öcalan, who is considered the leader of a people, should not still be in prison today. If we truly desire peace and a democratic society, no one should remain imprisoned. We expect Mr. Öcalan to be liberated. Mothers should not cry anywhere.”