Mothers of Peace denounce Kurdish Language ban in Turkish Parliament

At a press conference held at the Human Rights Association branch in Amed, the mothers criticized the committee meetings, saying their demands were dismissed.

Nehzat Tekin, one of the participants, expressed her frustration: “We went with high hopes to a committee established to solve the Kurdish issue, but we were told we could not speak in our mother tongue. If I cannot speak Kurdish in parliament, where is the solution?”

She added that the parliament could have easily provided interpreters, but the request was rejected.

Sultana Bozkurt, a Mothers of Peace member from Istanbul, underlined that identity is inseparable from language: “On Turkey’s centennial, if I cannot speak Kurdish in parliament, what does democracy mean? We want a state that respects human rights, not one that suppresses our language and culture.”

Hawa Karan said the mothers were pressured not to speak Kurdish but vowed to continue: “Our language is our dignity and our identity.”

She added that millions support Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan because he symbolizes peace:

“If there were true justice and rights, we would not have lost our children. The state has failed to bring together the mothers of soldiers and the mothers of fighters in one meeting.”

Karan stressed that Turkey’s current constitution is rooted in violence and called for its change:

“ Leader Ocalan has always been a voice for peace, never for war. Kurds have made serious efforts toward peace, but the state has shown no genuine will.”

The mothers reiterated their demands to end leader Ocalan’s isolation, release political prisoners, and take concrete steps toward a fair and democratic solution.

a.k

ANHA