Police Prevents Peace Mothers' Statement

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The Peace Mothers have sent a letter to Minister of Justice Abdülhamit Gül, calling the Minister to grant the demands of MP Leyla Güven and more than 200 inmates, who are on a hunger strike for the removal of the isolation imposed on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan.

On the Galatasaray Square in İstanbul, the Peace Mothers wanted to make a press statement before sending their letter. Police intervened in and did not allow the statement.

The police officers also checked the IDs of the journalists who were following the gathering, through a system called General Information Retrieval (GBT).

The Peace Mothers distributed the copies of the written statement to the journalists after sending their letter.

"We are ready for duty"

In the statement, the mothers said that they lost their children under torture and in conflict and that the injustice between the peoples needs to be eliminated for social peace.

"For social peace to be built and isolation [on Öcalan] in recent times to be lifted, we, as the Peace Mothers, call out to the Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for securing the justice."

The Peace Mothers requested a face-to-face meeting with the Minister of Justice, saying that social peace will be possible with the removal of the isolation and they are ready for duty in this period.

"The demands shall be granted before it is too late"

The Peace Mothers requested that the isolation on Öcalan be lifted and that the demands of Leyla Güven and more than 200 political prisoners be granted.

"Before it is too late, we request that our elected woman MP's demands be granted and the necessary efforts begin." (HA/VK)