A large crowd of Kurdish mothers, activists for women’s peace and civil rights groups that promote a democratic solution to the Kurdish Question, gathered in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority city of Nusaybin (Nisêbîn) on Sunday to protest against Turkey’s latest incursions into the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). They called on all mothers to ‘come in floods to the border’ to demonstrate against the Turkish administration’s policy of war.
The demonstration, held on the occasion of Mother’s Day in the region, was also attended by a group of MPs for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Regions Party (DBP) and members of the Assembly of Peace Mothers.
The demonstration began with a minute of silence for the victims of war.
Banners in the demonstration area read: ‘We will continue to fight until we are free’, and ‘Mothers in the struggle are our honour’.
The mothers chanted, ‘Women, life, freedom’ (‘Jin, jiyan, azadi’), ‘Long live the Zap resistance’ (‘Bijî berxwedana Zapê’), ‘The resistance in the prisons shall prevail’ (‘Biji berxwedana zindana), and ‘Long live the mothers’ resistance’ (‘Bijî berxwedana dayika’).
Meryem Soylu, herself a mother and a representative of an association for solidarity with the families of victims of armed conflicts, saluted all mothers and said in her address:
“Today, mothers expect congratulations from their children. But they are far from their children. Our children nevertheless live in our hearts, but this system does not even allow the children join their mothers, there are mothers unable even to visit the graves of their children on this special day. But no matter what they do, the mothers will continue to stand by their children.”
Soylu also voiced her protest at the collaboration of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) with Turkey in the latter’s attacks in the KRI.
“The KDP is shelling the mountains today. They are killing our children. Are they not ashamed?’ she said.
