AGIRÎ – Herdem Arslan, who two of her children joined the PKK, watched the ceremony of the Peace and Democratic Society Group from the screen. “Kurds must strengthen their unity and increase their struggle,” she said.
In line with the historic call made by Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan on 9 July, the Peace and Democratic Society Group, consisting of 30 people, held a ceremony on 11 July in the Şikefta Casenê (Jasana Cave) region in the rural area of Silêmanî (Sulaymaniyah) in the Federated Kurdistan Region and destroyed the weapons.
Among those who followed the historic ceremony with great excitement and interest were the families whose children had joined the PKK.
Herdem Arslan's son Nizamettin Arslan joined the PKK in 1994 and Turan Arslan in 2012. Turan died in a clash in Dêrsîm in 2017. There is no information about the fate of Nizamettin Arslan.
On the day of the ceremony, Herdem Arslan woke up in the early hours of the morning, switched on Medya Haber and Sterk TV and waited excitedly for the ceremony to take place. Herdem Arslan stood up after the announcement and congratulated the guerrillas with applause and cheers as if she had attended the ceremony.
'WORLD SAW THE DETERMINATION FOR PEACE'
Herdem Arslan said: “I was very happy to see the guerrillas. The whole world saw the Kurds’ etermination and power for peace. They destroyed their weapons and said peace.”
Emphasizing that the state should also take steps with the same determination, Herdem Arslan said: “Prisoners should be released. Let the guerrillas come among us. My two sons joined the PKK. One of them was martyred and I don’t know the fate of the other. I hope that one day they will all come and we will experience the excitement of welcoming them.”
'LET OUR LEADER BE FREE'
Reminding that the Kurdish people have paid a great price, “No one should have to pay a price of suffer anymore. Let there be peace. Let our leader be free. The rights of the Kurdish people must be given,” she said.
Stating that the struggle has evolved into another dimension with the ceremony, Herdem Arslan stressed: “A great burden falls on all of our shoulder. We must work harder to be worthy of the values we lost for this cause. The Kurdish people must strengthen their unity and increase their struggle.”
MA / Omer Akin