Skip to main content

Turkey's Peace Mothers refuse to pay fine for peaceful resistance

PROTESTING mothers remained defiant today as they vowed to not pay fines issued by the Turkish state for promoting the actions of Kurdish hunger strikers in Van province.

Fines of 325 Turkish lira (about £44) were handed to the Peace Mothers along with elected officials from the opposition People’s Democratic Party for taking part in sit-in protests to highlight the demands of around 7,000 hunger strikers in Turkish prisons.

Some of the mothers were fined three times by the Van Police Department Security Branch under the “law on misdemeanours,” however they said the fines would not be paid as they have not committed any crime.

Peace Mother Zekiye Kaya said: “We made a sit-in for our children not to die. We made a sit-in to support peace and life. Yet we were fined for our peaceful action.

“We will not pay that money. We did not commit any crime. We wanted our children not to die and extended the hand of peace.”

The white headscarves worn by the Peace Mothers became the iconic symbol of resistance being waged outside the jails where thousands of mainly Kurdish political prisoners were on hunger strike in protest at the continued isolation of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Despite being detained and subjected to brutal attacks by the Turkish state, the Peace Mothers continued their peaceful protests holding vigils and sit-in demonstrations in towns and cities across the country.

In a statement last weekend which brought an end to the hunger strikes, Mr Ocalan paid special tribute to the Peace Mothers whose actions he said were “very important” in the struggle to break the isolation.

They promised to fight on as the resistance enters a new phase. 

"For us mothers it is clear that we will continue the resistance,” they said in a statement. “We will not leave the streets and we will be the voice of peace.”

Mr Ocalan had been denied access to his legal team since 2011 until two visits to his Imrali island prison cell last month.

He had a brief 15-minute visit with his brother Mehmet in January however has had no further family visits since.

Today morning lawyers for Mr Ocalan’s family applied to the Bursa Public Prosecutors Office for a permit to visit the PKK leader for the Ramadan feast.

OWNED BY OUR READERS

We're a reader-owned co-operative, which means you can become part of the paper too by buying shares in the People’s Press Printing Society.

 

 

Become a supporter

Fighting fund

You've Raised:£ 13,288
We need:£ 4,712
3 Days remaining
Donate today