The public meetings initiated after Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" on 27 February continue. Citizens show great interest in the public meetings led by the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and Free Women's Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA).

 

DEM Party Assembly (PM) member Ahmet İstek, who participated in the public meetings held in Şirnex (Şırnak), Cizîr (Cizre) and Silopi, made evaluations. Stating that the "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" was welcomed with great enthusiasm and hope by all peoples in Turkey and Kurdistan, İstek said: "The peoples who have suffered from the war for many years welcomed the call with great happiness. Immediately after the historic call, in line with the decisions taken by our party, plans for public meetings were initiated in many parts of Turkey and Kurdistan. In Botan (A region in Turkey Kurdistan), public meetings were planned at three different points. First of all, our public meeting, which was held with a great participation in Cizre, developed in the form of discussions, questions and answers, approach to the process, the meaning and importance of the process."

 

Stating that the discussions held with the people during the meetings were fruitful and meaningful, İstek said, "The meetings we held revealed that Mr Öcalan's call was received with great enthusiasm. It has created great hope and determination among the people. There is a great determination to embrace the call. Extensive discussions have been and are being held. Our work will not be limited to these meetings."

 

'LET'S EMBRACE THE HISTORIC CALL WITH THE NEWROZ SPIRIT'

 

Underlining that the call made by Abdullah Öcalan should be embraced with the spirit of Newroz, İstek said, "Our primary call during Newroz will be to embrace this process initiated by Mr Öcalan. We take Newroz as a point to declare our determination, our claim and our approach to the process. In this sense, we call on the people of Botan to participate in and embrace Newroz. We invite them to embrace the call and process developed by Mr Öcalan with great determination and devotion."

 

Amine Yiğit, one of the women who participated in the public meeting, said that Abdullah Öcalan's historic call will be successful and added: "If Turkey wants to exist, it must take the outstretched hand. It must democratise itself and recognise the rights of the peoples living in this country. We are sure that we will succeed with our organised struggle."