Gulistan Gulmus

 

ŞIRNEX - Although 9 years have passed since her murder, Pakize Nayır's struggle continues to live on. Her mother Behiye Nayır said, ‘I suffered Pakize's pain, other mothers should not suffer the pain of their children’ and emphasised that they are always ready for peace and unity.

 

Nine years have passed since the curfews in Cizîr (Cizre) and Sîlopiya (Silopi) districts of Şirnex (Şırnak) started on 14 December 2015 and ended on 2 March 2016. This period, popularly known as the ‘Days of Doom’, was engraved not only on stone walls but also in people's memories and hearts with deep pain. In this period of great destruction, loss and tragedy, the resistance and struggle of a people was written in history.

 

Pakize Nayır, one of the symbols of this resistance, sacrificed her life to protect her people and became an unforgettable symbol not only of resistance but also of the struggle for peace and equality. The intervening years have not eased the pain of the disappeared; however, these pains have increased the belief and determination in the struggle. Behiye Nayır, the mother of Pakize Nayır, took over this struggle after her daughter and continues to carry the struggle for peace and equality like a flag.

 

On the 9th anniversary of Pakize Nayır's murder, her mother Behiye Nayır spoke to JINNEWS.

 

‘The pain is still fresh’

 

Behiye Nayır, explaining how her daughter was murdered, said the following: "I learnt about Pakize's death from television. She had called me on New Year's Eve and said, ‘We are celebrating New Year's Eve. Shortly after New Year's Eve, she called me one night and said, ‘There is no more war, we are with the MPs. It was Ramadan at the time. We got up at sahur and switched on the television. I saw his photograph and it was said, ‘There is no news about Pakize, Seve and Fatma. Seve was wounded, Pakize called the ambulance, called everyone, but they were not allowed to help. When I heard that Pakize had died, I fainted, the pain is still painfully fresh."

 

‘Pakize and her friends had no weapons’

 

Speaking about her friends who were murdered together with Pakize Nayır, Behiye Nayır said,"We cannot separate Pakize and her friends from each other’ and continued as follows "They were very beautiful, patriotic and emotional. They loved their people and their homeland very much. They were doing organising work. They were working for justice, law and democracy. Pakize and her friends had no weapons. They call our children terrorists, our children are not terrorists. Our children fought for their land, they fought for their rights. Our children were subjected to killings and arrests. We condemn, curse and do not accept this.

 

Our children are mighty. Everyone lives their art and culture in their own language. Our children also wanted a life in their own language. Are the children in Syria today terrorists? Syria has been under siege for how many years, the children there are suffering humiliation. Are Syrian children terrorists too? Do they have no conscience? If Kurds and Turks do not join hands today, Turkey will come to an end. If peace is achieved, we can live together in peace. However, if they continue to attack us and say, ‘They are terrorists,’ everything will get worse."

 

‘Mothers should not suffer the pain of their children’

 

Behiye Nayır stated that the Kurdish people have been persecuted for many years for their efforts to protect their identity and that she took over the struggle after Pakize Nayır. Behiye Nayır stated that the Kurdish problem must now be solved and emphasised that the solution can be provided by PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and said: "We have been suffering this persecution for 40 years. Once upon a time we were in our villages; soldiers would come and gather the villagers in the square and insult them. Why were they doing this? How long will we be under this oppression? Turks do not accept us, neither our language nor our culture. We have extended the hand of peace; we want peace. Our hearts are burnt, we don't want others' hearts to be burnt too. Let them meet with the leadership and set a table. Let there be peace now. We called for peace, but they built police stations everywhere in our city and destroyed our villages.

 

Why are we under this blockade? Our children have gone, we don't want other people's children to go too. After Pakize's death, I joined the Mothers for Peace. Whatever we need to do for peace and unity, we are always ready. I suffered Pakize's pain, other mothers should not suffer the pain of their children."