In Mamak district’s Tuzluçayır neighborhood in Ankara, there is a single house that stands apart. This "gecekondu" (squat house), which conceals the class contradictions behind the powers that be, is simple and modest in appearance. Yet, it is rich with the history of resistance, revival, and memory. It is the birthplace of a movement, a place where the Kurdish liberation struggle took root and where a people’s resistance is etched into the walls.

 

Rıza Altun’s family home was remembered once again on May 13. Those who gathered to commemorate Rıza Altun and Ali Haydar Kaytan stood before this house. Some whispered "A people awoke here," while others listened to the secrets that the walls of the house had kept for years, as they were part of that historic meeting. The house still whispers the decisions of that meeting and the hope born that night.

 

TUZLUÇAYIR: A HUB OF SOLIDARITY AND RESISTANCE

 

Since the 1960s, Tuzluçayır has been shaped by internal migration, especially with workers coming from cities like Sêwaz (Sivas), Dêrsim (Tunceli), Xarpêt (Elazığ), Erzîngan (Erzincan), Yozgat, and Çorum. The population was predominantly Alevi and Kurdish, communities that had long been the targets of oppression, denial, and assimilation policies. In Tuzluçayır, these communities built a culture of solidarity, and the neighborhood became known as "Little Moscow" due to its prominent leftist identity.

 

HATICE ANA: A REVOLUTIONARY WOMAN

 

One of the most memorable figures in Tuzluçayır’s history is Hatice Altun, known as "Hatice Ana" among the Kurdish people. Born in the district of Sarız in Kayseri to a Dêrsim exile family, she moved to Tuzluçayır in the 1960s. Her story is not just one of migration, but also one of resistance deeply intertwined with her people's struggle. Hatice Ana was not only the mother of Rıza Altun but also a woman who opened her home to the Kurdish movement, fed young revolutionaries, protected them, and even risked her life by hiding weapons and books.

 

A STRUGGLE THAT BEGAN WITH FRIENDSHIP: RIZA ALTUN AND KEMAL PIR

 

A pivotal moment in Rıza Altun's political formation came when he met Kemal Pir in Tuzluçayır. Pir, who went from café to café engaging in conversations, had a profound impact on young Altun. This friendship evolved into a bond of ideological comradeship and organizational determination, transforming Altun's family home into a meeting place for young revolutionaries.

 

THE REVOLUTIONARY HEADQUARTERS: THE ALTUN FAMILY HOME

 

As the Altun family's house became insufficient, young people demolished it and built a new, larger one in just two days. The new house, 105 square meters with three rooms and a living room, became not only a residence but also a revolutionary headquarters in Ankara. Hatice Ana took on vital tasks such as hiding weapons and books, and even during police raids, she distracted attention and kept everything hidden. This demonstrates how an illiterate woman could become a revolutionary subject.

 

One significant event that took place in this house was a historic meeting with important figures like Abdullah Öcalan, Kemal Pir, and Cemil Bayık. The main agenda of the meeting was the "colonial" thesis and discussing the approach of Turkey’s left to the Kurdish issue. The group rallied around Öcalan’s leadership, making key decisions that shaped their future actions.

 

REVIVAL AND COMMEMORATION

 

Today, the Altun family home still stands as a monument to the past. It carries the spirit of history, with the voices of Hatice Ana’s labour, Rıza Altun’s resistance, Ali Haydar Kaytan’s search for truth, Kemal Pir’s voice, and Abdullah Öcalan’s decisions still echoing through its walls. The house is no longer just a home; it is a place of a people's memory, the birth of an ideology, and the beginning of a struggle. Those who come to commemorate still pause in front of the house, remembering the history it holds.

 

 

MA / Melik Varol