Support for the call made by Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan continues. The support from mothers who have faced the heavy costs of the conflict draws attention. One of these mothers is Durri Kaygusuz, 66. Durri Kaygusuz and her family were subjected to house raids, detentions, arrests and torture for years. In 1995, the family was forced to migrate to Dîlok (Antep) from Eruha Kevn village in the Dihê (Eruh) district of Sêrt (Siirt) province, due to the imposition of village guards, attempts to burn down their village and other pressures. The family remained under pressure in Dîlok for years and raised their 6 children by working as laborers. There was no one in the family who had not seen the prison, and those who had not seen the prison traveled the prison roads where family members had fallen. Durri Kaygusuz was imprisoned 3 times for 3 months, 1 year and 1 year and 7 months on different dates and was detained 4 times for 1, 2, 8 and 15 days. Durri Kaygusuz was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison for “terrorist organization membership” in a case in which he was on trial with 62 people, including representatives of political parties and civil society organizations in Dîlok. 

 

HER SON'S BODY WAS DELIVERED IN A BAG

 

Halil Kaygusuz (Herekol Arteş), one of Durri Kaygusuz's sons, was killed in a clash in Wan (Van) in July 2018 while in the ranks of the PKK. After months of struggle to get her son's body, mother Durri Kaygusuz was handed the body of her son, who was buried in the cemetery of orphans in Wan, in a bag. Durri Kaygusuz, who buried the body in the village cemetery in Sêrt under difficult conditions, came to Dîlok and organized a condolence service for her son while her house was under police blockade. Durri Kaygusuz, who was detained before the first hearing of his son Şaban Kaygusuz, who was imprisoned in Sêrt on the third day of his condolence, was arrested after 15 days of detention and sent to Siirt Prison. 

 

'THEY BURNED OUR HOUSES AND PLUNDERED OUR LANDS' 

 

Her son Şaban Kaygusuz is 90 percent disabled and he is still being held in Kayseri Bünyan Prison. Durri Kaygusuz said that despite all they have been through, they continue to demand peace and coexistence. Durri Kaygusuz stated that their village was one of more than 3 thousand villages that were burned down during that period and that they were one of the hundreds of thousands of families who migrated from these villages. Durri Kaygusuz said, “They burned our houses, plundered our lands, and massacred tens of thousands of our children. Despite all this, we used to take to the streets and claim the bodies of our children and people. We used to express that we wanted peace, that we did not accept this dirty war. We used to shout that this bloodshed must stop.” 

 

Durri Kaygusuz said that they had to migrate to metropolises and emphasized that they were also subjected to pressure during this process, but they never knelt down. 

 

“I stood before this state again with my head held high, without kneeling down, without having my will crushed, because we were right. We were neither thieves nor plunderers. No one made us suffer what the state made us suffer. It burned our villages and houses, displaced us from our homes, killed our children and imprisoned the rest. Despite all this, we continued our demand for peace. We said, 'We don't want death'.” 

 

'TODAY IS THE DAY FOR ALL OF US'

 

“The day is not only ours, it is everyone's day, we have to stop this bloodshed,” she said and added, ”Mothers like me have suffered a lot. But for the sake of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's call for peace, I also want peace. That is why we are very excited about this call, but we are also bitter.” 

 

'LET TURKISH MOTHERS GIVE US AND PEACE A HAND'

 

Addressing the mothers of soldiers and police officers, Durri Kaygusuz stated that they had made these calls many times, but that it was essential to come together in the current process. Durri Kaygusuz said, "Turkish mothers have also paid many prices. But I would like to point out that no one has paid the price paid by the Kurds. However, I call on Turkish mothers who have paid a price, come and hold our hand. Let's come together for peace. Let's stop this dirty war and establish coexistence. Because today Turks and Kurds live together. We are neighbours, relatives, our grandchildren are one. Enough is enough, let's stop these massacres. We have come to a period where we can live good days. When the peace groups came to these lands in 2013, we were all very happy when the guns fell silent. We want those days to come again and the guns to fall silent. It is true that on one side the guns have fallen silent, but if the state does not take the same step on the other side, this is unacceptable. The guns must be silenced from both sides. We don't want to pay the price anymore, we don't want to lose our lives anymore. When the arm and leg of my son Şaban, who was wounded, were severed, I cauterised his arm and leg in the hospital. Still, I did not give up on peace. I paid such a price, but I never regret it. But enough is enough! We want an honourable life in our own hometowns in Kurdistan. We want to return to our burnt villages. We call out to the state, enough is enough, now it is your turn."

 

MA / Ceylan Şahinli