A number of women are participating in the march from Amed (tr. Diyarbakır) to the Turkish capital Ankara under the motto “We walk to freedom with hope.” The march will pass through seven cities in seven stages, including Urfa, Antep, Adana, Mersin, and finally Ankara, where the protest will conclude with a press conference during a parliamentary group meeting. The demonstration is intended not only to demand the release of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, but also to send a signal for a democratic, peaceful reorganization in Turkey.
Before the launch of the march, masses gathered in front of the DEM Party Amed Provincial Organization building, including Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar, Sebahat Tuncel, Ayla Akat Ata, co-mayors, and hundreds of women.
Despite the police cordon, the women began their march chanting slogans such as “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” (Woman, life, freedom), “Bijî Serok Apo” (Long live Leader Öcalan), and “Bê Serok jiyan nabe” (No life without the leader).
‘The struggle for peace is not a choice, but a necessity’
TJA activist Sebahat Tuncel noted in her speech that women have paid a heavy price for peace, freedom, and democracy for years.
“The struggle for peace is not a choice for us, but a necessity. We can build our culture and language in an environment of peace. Those in power have always ignored our demand. For a hundred years, Kurds in this country have been shouting ‘peace’. Unfortunately, no meaningful response has been given so far,” Tuncel said.
“There can be no peace without listening to Öcalan”
Drawing attention to the work of the parliamentary commission established as part of the ongoing process seeking democratization and a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question, Tuncel said, “The commission had two responsibilities. It fulfilled its first responsibility by listening to the parties, but they did not listen to Mr. Öcalan. There can be no peace without listening to Mr. Öcalan.”
“There is resistance to peace in this process. This resistance is not from the Kurds, but from the state,” said Sebahat Tuncel, adding, “We Kurds have always expressed that we are in favor of peace.”
‘Without freedom, real peace is not possible’
Sebahat Tuncel stated that “one of the things the state must do is create conditions of freedom for the parties,” adding: “The state is working under conditions of freedom, but the Kurdish side is not in the same situation. A year has passed, but isolation policies continue in Imralı, and this isolation also isolates peace. That is why we are marching to Ankara. In Ankara, we will say, ‘Mr. Öcalan’s freedom is the freedom of the people.’ Mr. Öcalan stated in a recent meeting, ‘My freedom lies in the freedom of the people. I’m not making my freedom the sole focus of attention.’ Mr. Öcalan sees his own freedom in the freedom of the Kurdish people. We, as Kurds, as Kurdish women, also see our own freedom in Mr. Öcalan’s freedom. This is not a condition, it is a necessity. Without freedom, real peace is not possible. We want this peace to be real.”
“We are building a bridge of peace from Amed to Ankara”
Emphasizing their determination for freedom, Tuncel continued, “The Kurdish people have been walking the path of freedom for 50 years and will continue to do so. They have paid a heavy price and made great sacrifices, but they have never given up. We are the children of this people. We want an honorable peace. We know that this will be achieved through effort and hard work. That is why we are walking from Amed to Ankara. We are taking women’s demands from here and bringing them to Ankara. We are building a bridge of peace from Amed to Ankara. Our march for freedom has been going on for a long time, and it will continue.”
“Open the way for peace”
Sebahat Tuncel concluded: “We will convey our demands to Ankara, but we also have a call to our peoples. This is not just the issue of the Kurds, but of all the peoples of Turkey. The policies that view the Kurds as enemies, ignore them, and deny their language, culture, and identity have come to an end. They are now discussing the future of Rojava. The Kurds in Turkey, Rojava, Bashur, and Rojhilat will also be free. We will live together as equals. The way to achieve this is through democratic politics. Open the way for democratic politics, open the way for peace. We trust ourselves, women, and our people.”
Sebahat Tuncel’s speech was frequently interrupted by slogans. After the statement, the women marched to the point where the vehicles will depart.