ÎDIR - Latife Tabar, 80, lost her brother, cousin and 2 children in the clashes and does not know the fate of 1 child. "Peace cannot be achieved unilaterally and only by talking. Steps need to be taken for this," she said.

 

Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" on 27 February opened the door to a new process in the Kurdish issue. Both Abdullah Öcalan's call and the decision of the PKK, which held its congress in response to the call, to "end the work" were considered as a historic step in terms of democratisation and non-conflict.

 

The biggest support for the process led by Abdullah Öcalan came from the families who lost their relatives during the conflict. The price and struggle of the Kurdish people for decades is embodied in the life of 80-year-old Latife Tabar. She lost her two daughters, brother and cousin in the clashes and she does not know the fate of her son from whom she cannot get information.

 

A FAMILY'S HISTORY OF RESISTANCE

 

Latife Tabar is living in Pêrlî village of Qulp (Tuzluca) district of Îdir (Iğdır) province. First her brother İsmail Kal joined PKK in 1988, and her cousin Reyhan Kal in the same year, her son Mustafa Tabar in the early 1990s, her daughter Roza in 1992 and another daughter Ruken Tabar in 1993. 

İsmail Kal died in 1991, Reyhan Kal in 1989, Roza Tabar in 1992 and Ruken Tabar in 1996. There has been no information about the fate of Mustafa Tabar until today.

 

"We haven't seen the bodies of any of them. They don't have a gravestone. We do not know whether my son is alive or not," said Latife Tabar, expressing the common pain experienced by hundreds of thousands of mothers in this geography.

 

'THE STATE MUST TAKE STEPS NOW'

 

Latife Tabar emphasised that they are behind the struggle of their children and said they are ready for peace. Recalling the call of Turkish Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Leader Devlet Bahçeli in the Parliament saying, “Öcalan should come to the Parliament”, she said this was good but now steps need to be taken. 

 

Reacted to the Turkish attacks to the PKK Latife Tabar said: “Today there is talk of peace, so why is the state still using chemical weapons and bombs? How is this peace? How can there be peace if the state is attacking again? If there is to be peace, the weapons must be silenced.”

 

Calling to the mothers Latife Tabar continued: “The mothers of Turks also need to stand up and speak out for peace. Peace cannot be one-sided. If there will be peace, then they should open the doors of prisons. Abdullah Öcalan should be able to communicate with his guerrillas. There can be no peace just by talking. Steps need to be taken for peace. For this, let there be an agreement in which all the states of the world participate.  Let it be an official document, but not like the Treaty of Lausanne. Let them give the Kurds their rights. We will live together again. Kurds, Persians, Turks can live together. We do not want war."

 

MA / Ömer Akın