The geography of Kurdistan, where every mountain, stone, and tree root carries a story, continues to sprout and blossom despite the pains and sacrifices woven into those stories. In the face of years of war policies, this land sustains every sprout that grows in the mountains with the blood shed for peace and freedom, confronting us with a story at every step.
The Kurdish mothers, who nurture these stories, who walk tirelessly, and who today speak at the forefront for peace, are among the greatest actors of this struggle. Despite the heavy prices they have paid, the Kurdish mothers set aside their pain and declared “Enough is enough.” Today, they continue to fight to carry on the legacies of peace left by mothers such as Sakine Arat and Mother Berfo (Berfo Ana).
She lost three children yet never stopped saying ‘peace’
One of these mothers is Mürvet Demir, who lost three children during the conflict and still has a son in the ranks of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Having long walked side by side with Sakine Arat and struggled for peace, Mürvet Demir continues her fight despite all the hardships she has endured, saying: “No other mother should leave this world with her eyes open.”
After losing two sons and a daughter, Mürvet Demir joined the Peace Mothers Assembly, where she considers the saz (a traditional long-necked lute) taught to her by her late son Serok as her companion in sorrow.
Mürvet Demir stressed that peace is valuable for all peoples and that this process should not be wasted. She said she would not stop until she brings to life the peace struggle of Sakine Arat, whom she calls “Mother.”
She described both her losses and her commitment to the struggle for peace as follows: “Peace is a beautiful thing. On Peace Day and Peace Month, I salute everyone who demands peace and struggles for it. I hope peace will come to these lands and that none of our children’s efforts will be in vain. No blood that has been shed will be in vain. We mothers have suffered the same pains and lived with the same pains. Even though it has been difficult for us, we fought for this.”
They struggled so no one would die
Mürvet Demir explained why they hold on so firmly to the demand for peace: “Today in this process, everyone asks us, ‘Why do you want peace so much?’ I can only answer this with the mothers we have lost and the blood that has been shed. Mother Sakine (Arat) was one of those mothers who struggled for this cause. Throughout her life she struggled so that no one would die. She went to Ankara on her own, dedicating her life so that no mother would cry. She could not bury any of her children. She lost three of them, yet she never stayed at home. She always said peace, she always pursued peace, and when she died, she left this world with that longing, with her eyes open.”
Mother Sakine left with her eyes open
Mürvet Demir also shared an unforgettable memory from Mother Sakine’s final journey: “When they were washing her, I went inside. Mother Sakine was the mother of us all. Inside, I saw that her eyes were open. I said, ‘Whose path were you waiting for?’ Then I tried to close her eyes; one closed, but the other remained open. No matter how much the war continues, today peace is the most precious, the most beautiful thing for all of us. As long as we choose peace, good things will follow.
We mothers, like Mother Sakine or Mother Berfo, do not want any mother to leave this world with her eyes open anymore. For this, everyone must shoulder their share of the responsibility.”
My saz is my companion in sorrow
Mürvet Demir seeks to ease her pain, forget her losses, and carry on her struggle through the music of her saz. She said: “We have had so many losses. We have paid such heavy prices. Mother Sakine was the hardest for me. In her, I saw and felt a mother’s longing and faith in peace. After losing my children, I experienced the same again.
It was my last son, Serok, who taught me how to play the saz. Now, whenever I feel overwhelmed, I take my saz and play. My saz has become my companion in sorrow. When I play it, everything passes before my eyes again. But despite everything, every note I play is for peace.”
This opportunity must not be missed
Mürvet Demir also addressed the political dimension of the process, criticizing the state’s failure to take action: “Today the Kurdish people have done everything for peace, yet there has not been even the smallest concrete step from the state. In this process, while the people have taken a thousand steps, the state has not taken even one. They called the commission the Commission for Peace and Brotherhood, but we have seen nothing related to either peace or brotherhood.
Mr. Öcalan placed this process before everyone on a golden platter. The Kurdish people are fully prepared for this process until the end. As long as we live, we must carry forward the peace struggle of those we have lost. To bring this to life, we must not stop even for a single day. Steps must be taken now.”