Representatives of political parties and civil society organizations attended the press statement in Peyas (Kayapınar) district. Speaking at the event, Amed (Diyarbakır) TUAY-DER co-chair Yeter Erel Tuma described Abdullah Öcalan’s call on February 27 as “a major roadmap,” emphasizing that Öcalan’s freedom is the guarantee of a democratic society.
Yeter Erel Tuma said: “The right to hope must be implemented for Abdullah Öcalan. Ensuring this right is not only an individual guarantee but also the guarantee of a democratic society.”
Democracy and Equality Party (DEM Party) Amed Provincial Co-chair Abbas Şahin stressed that war policies have deepened poverty, unemployment, violence against women, and social collapse.
DEM Party Amed Provincial co-chair Abbas Şahin declared: “We are not condemned to the politics of war and the darkness it has created; we want peace,” and continued: “We want peace, because we argue that democracy, freedom, equality, and justice can only be guaranteed through the democratic solution of the Kurdish question. We want peace, because we defend the coexistence of different identities on the basis of equal citizenship, with their own existence. We want peace, because we reject the poverty, unemployment, and exploitation of labor deepened by war. We want peace, because we struggle against the attacks on women and their hard-won rights, and we defend a women’s liberationist life. We want peace, because we do not accept the war policies that intensify violence and killings against women.”
Following the statement, the campaign was opened to the public for signatures.
Adana
The campaign was also launched in Adana, with a press statement held at İnönü Park attended by representatives of political parties and civil society organizations. A banner reading “Raise your voice for peace” was displayed, while the crowd frequently chanted “Bijî aşitî” (Long live peace) and “We want peace.” After a statement by DEM Party Adana Provincial Co-chair Seyfettin Aydemir, the signature stand was opened and the first signatures were collected.
Colemerg (Hakkari)
In Gever (Yüksekova) district, the DEM Party set up a stand in the town center for collecting signatures. The statement, attended by representatives of political parties and civil society organizations, was read by DEM Party Gever District Co-chair Ercan Sevmez. Following the announcement, signatures were collected at the stand.
Wan (Van)
In all districts of Wan, signature stands were set up for the same purpose. In Ebex (Çaldıran) district, the campaign drew strong interest. Speaking about the initiative, DEM Party Ebex District Co-chair Abbas Atsak said: “As the people of this district, we will give the necessary support to this process. We call on all our people to support this initiative.”