ÊLIH – Nuran Seçkin, who lost four family members during the conflict, stressed the urgency of peace amid the Iran-Israel war, saying: “Peace can no longer be delayed. The state must act now. Peace cannot be one-sided.”
Following Kurdish Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s February 27 “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society,” a new phase began for a democratic resolution to the Kurdish issue. Families who have lost loved ones in the conflict are among the strongest supporters of this initiative.
THE SEÇKIN FAMILY
One such family is the Seçkins from Êlih (Batman). Nuran Seçkin, 62, lost her son Ahmet Seçkin in a 2016 clash in Êlih after he joined the PKK in 2013. Her nephew Rojhat Seçkin, who also joined the PKK in 2013, died in a 2016 clash in Muğla. Rojhat’s brother Hüseyin Seçkin was killed in 2017 in Amed (Diyarbakır). Her daughter Hacire Seçkin, who joined the PKK in 1997, is still part of the organization.
Despite the PKK’s recent ceasefire and declaration of ending operations, Nuran Seçkin criticized the Turkish state for continuing its military attacks and called for an immediate shift in approach.
Speaking about the human cost of war, Seçkin stated: “Enough already, let no more people die, let no more mothers cry. I call on all mothers to embrace the path of peace that Mr. Öcalan has opened. Anyone affected by this war must unite to build peace. We owe it to our children and our martyrs. We will fight for an honorable peace with every last drop of our blood.”
CALL TO FAMILIES OF SOLDIERS AND POLICE
Nuran Seçkin, whose family has faced state violence since the 1980s, said her daughter was driven to join the PKK after years of oppression: “I’ve lost four family members. We will continue the struggle for a dignified peace. Mothers of soldiers and police officers should also join this process. There’s a full-blown war just next door, Iran and Israel. The need for peace is urgent. The state must act now.”
RESPONSE TO ONGOING ATTACKS
Emphasizing that peace cannot be achieved unilaterally, Seçkin added: “While this process continues, our lands are bombed daily. People are dying. Ill prisoners are dying. There has been no step taken to improve prison conditions. Planes fly overhead constantly. If weapons are to be laid down, it must be mutual. Without a democratic environment, weapons are meaningless. But the state is neither creating such an environment nor stopping its aggression.”
She concluded: “War has no winner, only loss. Look at the regions at war now. The state should stop trying to deceive us. Kurds are no longer the same, not ignorant, not unorganized. They can’t even fool a child anymore. Take real steps now. Take part in building an honorable peace. We trust in ourselves for peace.”