AMED – Thousands gathered at Şêx Seîd (Dağkapı) Square in Amed to commemorate Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun, prominent cadres of the PKK.

The commemoration drew participation from Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Keskin Bayındır, MPs from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, representatives of numerous civil society organizations, and residents from surrounding cities and districts who arrived in Amed in the early morning hours. The square was filled with chants such as “Bijî berxwedana gelê Kurd (Long live resistance of Kurdish People)”, “PKK is the people, the people are here”, and “Bijî Serok Apo (Long live Leader Apo)”.

The event began with a moment of silence in honour of those who lost their lives in the struggle for freedom and democracy, followed by the revolutionary Kurdish anthem “Çerxa Şoreşê”. Mehmet Emin Kılıç, Co-Chair of MEBYA-DER, paid tribute to Kaytan and Altun.

‘THE STATE MUST ACT’

Kılıç saluted prisoners resisting the system, stating: “Our martyrs are immense, and so is our pain. But their cause will succeed.” Referring to the recent call by Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, Kılıç emphasized, “We have received and embraced the call made by Mr. Öcalan.”

He continued: “This people will achieve their rights through democratic struggle. Every step taken by the freedom movement is historic. Every martyrdom is a story. We bow respectfully before the memory of these two martyrs and all freedom martyrs. The state must act without further delay — this delay cannot be seen as well-intentioned.”

Uğur Ağır from MEBYA-DER Êlih (Batman) read a statement prepared for the commemoration: “Our Freedom Struggle, which resurrected the denied and buried reality of Kurdistan from its ashes, has entered a new phase. The 52-year march of resistance continues with all its grandeur. For those devoted to freedom, this is not an end, but a new beginning. Those who pledged their lives to this cause walked every inch of Kurdistan, planting the seeds of freedom. It was the spirit of comradeship that kept us going, the path carved by those who loved life enough to die for it. From Haki Karer to our latest martyrs, we remember them all with love and gratitude. Martyr Ali Haydar Kaytan (Fuat) and Martyr Rıza Altun were among the pioneers — symbols of loyalty, truth, and sacred life. They believed in the thesis that ‘Kurdistan is a colony’ and upheld the motto ‘insistence on humanity is insistence on socialism’. They were lovers, dervishes, apostles, and guides of the mountains.”

CEREMONY AND MESSAGE FROM ÖCALAN

Religious figures (pirs) from Dêrsim (Tunceli) lit ceremonial candles. DEM Party Mêrdin (Mardin) MP Beritan Güneş read a message sent by Abdullah Öcalan following the PKK congress, dedicated to Kaytan and Altun. The reading was accompanied by chants of “Bijî Serok Apo” from the crowd.

SAYYIĞIT: WE MUST EMBRACE ÖCALAN’S CALL

DEM Party Wan (Van) MP and Democratic Unity Initiative Co-Spokesperson Gülcan Kaçmaz Sayyiğit honored Altun and Kaytan, stating: “Şêx Seîd was martyred here, and his grandchildren are raising their voices here today. We have long desired peace on these lands. Our struggle is for peace, freedom, and unity. We’ve been denied in our own land for a century, yet we continue to call for peace and freedom. The Kurdish People's Leader made a historic call, naming it the ‘Call for Peace and a Democratic Society’. We are all responsible for this call. If we can speak our language and engage in politics today, it is thanks to those who sacrificed their lives and those who are imprisoned. Therefore, we must embrace this call.”

The program continued with the reading of Kaytan’s poem “The Joy of Flow (Akış Sevinci)” and musical performances by Hasan Ekinci. The commemoration will continue at 18:00 at the DEM Party’s Amed provincial office.