A condolence ceremony was held in Pirsûs (Suruç), a district of Riha (Urfa), for Cidan Şahin (Cafer), who was reported to have fallen as a martyr in 1995 in Gever (Yüksekova). The ceremony was attended by Çetin Arkaş from the Imralı Secretariat, Ömer Öcalan, Ferit Şenyaşar, members of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) provincial and district organizations, the Association for Solidarity and Support with Families Who Lost Their Relatives in the Cradle of Civilizations (MEBYA-DER), and many citizens.
Çetin Arkaş, speaking at the condolence held at Hasan Hüseyin House of Mourning, said that this would be one of the most difficult speeches he would deliver. He stated: “One becomes emotional behind every martyr and feels their pain deeply. It becomes much heavier and more difficult to speak about some comrades after their martyrdom, those with whom one has shared so much, lived through both sorrow and joy, and spent a great deal of time. I have been out for about eight months and have attended many public meetings, but this may be one of the hardest speeches for me. Comrade Cidan, his code name is written there, Cafer. It comes from Cafer Demirel. Cafer Demirel was also our comrade. One fell, and the one who remained standing took the name of the fallen, trying to keep it alive in the struggle. Cidan fell, and now dozens of fellow fighters have taken his name, like a relay of a flag.”
We were comrades in struggle
Çetin Arkaş, recalling his memories with Cidan Şahin, said: “Comrade Cidan was studying at Istanbul Faculty of Law. I was at Istanbul Faculty of Political Sciences. We were on the same campus; we shared a house, we were classmates, and we were comrades in struggle. We experienced many things together; we went through many hardships together. Thirty-five years ago, there were not this many universities in Turkey. Getting into university was not this easy. Being admitted to Istanbul Faculty of Law was not something easy. Only very intelligent people could enter those schools. Comrade Cidan was a brave comrade, and at the same time he was intelligent. The 1990s were very painful years. We were in Istanbul, far from the country, but every day we received news of unsolved killings, village burnings, and suffering taking place there. At school, in the cafeteria, in the dormitories, this was our entire agenda, and we felt helpless. What were we to do? Things were happening there, would we simply study, become judges, prosecutors, engineers, governors, doctors, and close our eyes to all of this? Or would we search for a way to alleviate the suffering of our people, even a little? University youth truly felt this in their hearts at that time. If these friends had been concerned with pursuing individual careers, Cidan today could probably have been a member or even the president of the Court of Cassation. In the speech at Newroz in Diyarbakır (Amed), I also mentioned the name of Çetin together with Cidan. He was also studying at Istanbul Faculty of Law. After 34 years, I met him in Siverek, he was in the grave, and I went there to visit him.”
Cidan was among our bravest
Çetin Arkaş said that they had come to this point from a painful past and continued: “We used to discuss these days among ourselves, we discussed world revolutions. What would happen, what would be the fate of our country, what would be the fate of our struggle, what would we do, how would we live? All the friends I knew at that time had already risked their lives; they had accepted death. No one expected to live this long. We said, we will go, we will fight for our people, we will fight as long as we can. If we fall, others will come, take up our struggle and continue it, but we will definitely succeed. It may take three days, five days, one year, two years, but this struggle will certainly succeed. There was such determination. Those who led this struggle were also students from a generation before us. Those who are old enough will remember that they were first referred to as ‘students.’ Because Abdullah Öcalan, Kemal Pir, Hayri Durmuş, Mazlum Doğan, Haki Karer, Ali Haydar Kaytan, and Rıza Altun were all university students. Among the people, they were known as students. We always organized actions at universities. Comrade Cidan was among our bravest. Çetin was also one of our bravest, a courageous comrade. Cidan had a distinct character. He was not very tall, but he was strongly built. From the outside, he might have appeared very tough, but he was truly like a child. His spirit was very pure. Among us, he was the most hardworking.”
We will succeed, we will definitely succeed
Çetin Arkaş emphasized that immense efforts had been made to reach this point and said: “If we have come this far today, if this struggle has reached this stage, then those who must never be forgotten are the most valuable sons and daughters of this people, each one precious, like diamonds, not only brave but also intelligent, with bright futures ahead of them. Nothing has gone to waste. The sacrifices made by Cidan and by all our other martyrs have not been in vain. We have created so much; we have created the greatest revolution. While we were in prison, we could sense and see certain things, but after I was released, there was almost nowhere we did not visit. Together with all our institutions, we held meetings and spoke everywhere. The conclusion I reached is this: are we an organization or are we a state? I could not understand. Perhaps there is no organization as large as ours on earth. We are not called a state, but we have such a vast level of organization and such broad means that all of this has emerged step by step, brick by brick, through the sacrifices made by our comrades. We will not forget this, and we will pass it on to future generations. Comrade Cidan, my comrade, my companion on the road, my housemate, my classmate, and my comrade in struggle, coming to the land where he grew up and attending such a condolence is, for me, emotionally very difficult. I bow respectfully before his memory. I remember him with a smile, with his playful manner toward us, I kiss his face, and I once again repeat my promise to him on this occasion: we will succeed, we will definitely succeed.”
This legacy is sacred to us
Ömer Öcalan, who then took the floor, said: “This district has paid a great price, our people have paid a great price. For 41 years, an uncompromising struggle has been carried out in the face of oppression and repression. It was a matter of existence or non-existence. Until today, the Kurds were denied, and politics was built on this denial, but through the sacrifices of our martyrs and the efforts of our people, the Kurds have reached this stage. They have left us a great legacy. This legacy is sacred for us and carries deep moral meaning. Let all our people protect this legacy and this effort. Indeed, this geography, this country, has paid a heavy price. Through this sacrifice, it has secured recognition of its identity and existence. We are all following it closely; a democratic solution process is underway. Under the leadership of Abdullah Öcalan, Kurds have never wanted war. Kurds have never been lovers of war. Kurds have always taken major steps toward peace and a solution. Öcalan has sought a solution not only today but from the 1990s until now. This process is continuing today as well. Let us uphold the legacy of our martyrs. We will also follow their dreams. We will establish a system of equal life in the geography of Kurdistan. We once again offer our condolences to all the families. Our condolences to all our people. May our martyr rest in peace. We will succeed in the cause they have carried to this point. Once again, our condolences to all our people.”
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