A tragic accident claimed the lives of two Peace Mothers, Adalet Safali and Sosin Akçelik, as they were returning from Van (Wan) to Hakkari (Colemêrg) after being summoned for prosecution statements. However, the women were forced to return due to the prosecutor’s absence. The accident also left their lawyers, Erdal Safalı and Cihan Özçelik, severely injured.
The Peace Mothers group, active since 1999, has been a vocal advocate for a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish question in Turkey. The accident has ignited outrage and sorrow, with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) issuing a statement condemning the government’s treatment of the Peace Mothers and Saturday Mothers.
The HDP statement reads: “The government, which uses the judiciary against Peace Mothers and Saturday Mothers, and has shifted its rhetoric from ‘mothers should not cry’ to ‘endless oppression to mothers,’ is the primary responsible for these deaths. We pray for mercy for our mothers and wish a speedy recovery to our injured friends. We promise to keep their memories alive and raise the demand for peace.”
The incident follows a series of dawn raids conducted across several towns within the Kurdish-majority Hakkari province in Turkey last week, leading to around 30 detentions, including women associated with the Peace Mothers group.
