NEWS CENTER – Residents of the Mexmur (Makhmur) Refugee Camp, who have been holding a vigil for Abdullah Öcalan’s physical freedom for 736 days, called on the state to heed his call. “We want to return to our lands, not through surrender but with dignity,” they said.

 

Thousands of people from Şirnex (Şırnak), Colemêrg (Hakkari), and Sêrt (Siirt) were forcibly displaced during the state’s security policies of the 1990s and resettled in camps across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. In 1998, under United Nations (UN) supervision, they were relocated to the Mexmur Refugee Camp, where they have built an autonomous life for over three decades.

 

‘WE STAND BY OUR LEADER’

 

Mehmûd Zêwkî stressed their trust in Abdullah Öcalan: “We fully support every step our Leader takes. He sacrificed his life for us. While he calls for peace, the Turkish state remains silent, which is shameful. Steps must be taken. Even now, chemical weapons are used in our mountains, undermining peace. We must also do our part.”

 

‘WE WANT PEACE AND BROTHERHOOD’

 

Helîm Gûndikremo voiced support for Öcalan’s call: “We fully back our Leader’s call. The state must also act for peace. Let us raise our voices together to end this war. Enough blood has been shed for 50 years. We want peace and brotherhood.”

 

‘OUR EYES ARE ON OUR HOMELAND’

 

Elî Mijînî expressed hopes to return after a successful peace process: “We were forced out of our villages in the 1990s and came to this camp. This peace initiative is vital not only for Kurds but for Turks as well. We want a peaceful, dignified life and will not return under coercion. If democratic conditions are created, we will go back to our lands.”

 

MA / Zeynep Durgut