Semiha Alankuş

 

SILÊMANÎ - Thirty guerrillas who learnt the language of the mountains became a voice for peace and hope for the wind of ashes with the weapons they left in the fire. Those ashes turned the half-century-long resistance of a people into a rebirth, into the echo of a silent call.

 

Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's video call, broadcast on 9 July, resonated all over the world, especially among the Kurdish people. This image, which appeared on the screens for the first time in years, was not only a political statement; it was a historical moment full of longing, hope and determination. Abdullah Öcalan's words, "There is a lot we can do. Let's do it together" reawakened the feelings of peace in the hearts of the peoples. This call turned into a strong declaration of will that was reciprocated in the field. The guerrillas responded positively to this invitation. So I, along with hundreds of journalists, writers, intellectuals, civil society representatives and politicians, took my place at the ceremony site that morning to witness history. Everyone had the same feelings in their eyes: curiosity, excitement, some uneasiness, but most of all a deep belief in peace. This moment was more than a ceremony; it was witnessing the opening of a new page in a half-century struggle.

 

For the first time in 50 years of struggle, such a moment was to be witnessed. A group of 30 guerrillas came with their weapons and took their places on the platform prepared for them. I thought at that moment: Each of them has a different story. Each of them was stepping into a new process with their own experiences. Each of them had a bond with the mountains, a soul that had learnt to speak the language of those mountains. They had whispered their most beautiful experiences to the summit and heart.

 

For them, the mountain is a completely different world, a different life. Because the language of the mountain is different; only those who carry it in their hearts and understand its language know it...

 

History has witnessed this at other times. But this time was completely different. They had come to carry the meaning they had created in the mountains to their own people and to the new life to be born. It was possible to understand this from their arrival, their stance and their looks in the field.

 

Hundreds of people watching them in the field were in indescribable emotions. No one knew yet which emotion they would fall into. But everyone agreed on this: That was the moment when history would change. Breaths were held and the moment was awaited in silence.

 

Despite the warnings in Kurdish, Turkish and English before the ceremony to ‘not shout slogans’ and ‘keep quiet’, as soon as the guerrillas entered the area, everyone stood up and welcomed them with applause and slogans of ‘Biji Serok Apo."

 

Hope in the tears of mothers

 

Many people, especially the Mothers of Peace, could not hold back their tears as the course of history changed. I spoke to a mother after the historic announcement: "I lost two of my children to martyrdom, I would have loved them to be here, but all of these people have the smell of my children. So let there be peace. This is what we want."

 

The only word on the lips of everyone I chatted with at the ceremony site was: ‘Let there be peace.’

 

More than a ceremony

 

Guerrillas who had joined the PKK in different periods marched towards the area where the weapons were to be destroyed and left their weapons and raxt. Then they set fire to these weapons and raxt. This moment showed how committed they were to the call made by their leader and the solution project he had developed.

 

Ashes of peace

 

The burning of weapons was a first in the world. Weapons were laid down in different countries during resolution processes; however, destroying them in fire and witnessing them melt into ashes was only experienced here. This was a unique stance that the fifty-year Kurdish freedom struggle added to the world of meaning. Perhaps this preference is related to the deep meaning of fire in Kurdish culture.

 

Because fire is the symbol of both existence, resistance and rebirth. Fire is a spark that illuminates the darkness; it burns and cleanses when necessary while protecting life. Fire is the name of a cycle that burns the old to ashes before opening the door to a new beginning, and then rejuvenates life from those ashes. Fire is a breath of resistance that continues to burn inside even in the quietest times of the people, it is the witness of the friendships, beliefs and promises established with the fires lit in the mountains. Therefore, the laying down of weapons in the fire was not only a destruction, but a sacred ritual that turned into resistance in the memory of the people.

 

After this historic moment, 30 guerrillas, 30 freedom fighters, retreated to the heart of the mountains where they had taken refuge, to their own safe spaces. This departure left great responsibilities for everyone, and most of all for the state.

 

As Besê Hozat, co-chair of the KCK Executive Council and spokesperson of the Peace and Democratic Society Group, stated:

 

"For the process to succeed, serious legal reforms, legal and constitutional arrangements are needed."