DİYARBAKIR - Kurdish mothers, who visit their children in cemetery every year on Mothers’ Day, said their anger against the state took their children from them didn’t end but they would continue to insist on peace so that other mothers don’t lose their children.

 

Mothers’ Day has been welcomed in Kurdistan with a heavy heart as every year. The Kurdish women continue to shout out their demand for peace despite oppression and torture. Afife Kartal, mother of YJA Star’s member Zelal Kartal (nom de guerre Tekoşin Amed) killed on September 10, 2017, said, “Tekoşin wished me a happy Mothers’ Day every year. She went and I didn’t see her for eight years. But I start to cry when I see the daughter of my neighbor wish her mother a happy Mothers’ Day. Eight mothers’ days have passed without her. Today I will visit her grave and I will tell her, ‘Today is Mothers’ Day, let’s stand up and celebrate it’.”

 

Expressing that they still shout out their demand for peace even though they have spent the Mothers’ Day without their children, Afife said their anger against the state took their children from them didn’t end but they would continue to insist on peace so that other mothers don’t lose their children. Afife said, “I have spent the Mothers’ Day without her for years. I don’t want a gift or something else. I want my child, can they bring her back? We spend the Mothers’ Day and the Fathers’ Day in cemeteries in Kurdistan.”

 

Netice Çubuk is the mother of Çekwar Çubuk who was killed by snipers on December 2, 2015 while trying to go out from Sur under the curfew. Netice said Çekwar was always with her on the Mothers’ Day and she added, “He hugged and kissed me on the Mothers’ Day. The last time, he bought a tea set for me and he told me ‘We will have tea together’ but we couldn’t have tea together. As mothers, we always demand peace. I don’t want other mothers to face this, all I want is this. The mothers’ day is not mothers’ day for us because our children aren’t with us.”

 

‘I cry my heart out’

 

“Mothers shouldn’t cry anymore,” said Şenay Gürkan, mother of Mahsum Gürkan who was killed in clashes broke out after the declaration of self-governance. Saying that she cries her heart out, Şenay continued to speak as follows; “Mothers shouldn’t cry anymore, the children shouldn’t be killed anymore. The arrests and detentions should be ended. I want this country to have peace.”

 

‘We want this oppression to end’

 

Havva Öner, mother of Ferit Öner who lost his life while fighting Daesh, said she demanded peace and she added, “The state oppresses the people. I cannot see my son on the Mothers’ Day. We demand peace. No one should be killed anymore. I want the mothers to not cry anymore. We want this oppression to end.”