JINHA

MÊRDÎN – Among the many civilians who Turkish state forces trapped in a basement in Cizre was Ali Fırat Kalkan. His mother and aunt, on vigil in the nearby district of Nusaybin, said “even if there are those who die, the struggle will continue after them.”

For days, many families have been waiting at a vigil in Nusaybin district hoping for news from the nearby besieged town of Cizre, where their loved ones are under assault. After a massive attack on a basement in Cizre, the families are waiting with the hope that whether their loved ones or dead or alive, at least they will know soon.

Ali Fırat Kalkan’s mother Fatma said that the family’s village was burned down in the Turkish state military campaign in Kurdistan in the 1990s. They relocated to Van, where Ali Fırat (one of seven children) began to go to school. His older brother joined the Kurdish liberation struggle 24 years ago and was left wounded.

“Now Ali Fırat is in Cizre. We don’t know if he’s dead, if he’s wounded,” said Fatma. “We raised him under difficult conditions and sent him to school; he was at the end of his schooling. He went to Cizre to visit. The state calls them ‘terrorists,’ but they’re all civilians.”

Fatma called Europe “AKP supporters,” saying, “We’re always making calls, but they never do anything. We’re calling to the whole world, we’re crying out: come, let’s go get those people out of there together.”

Azime Aral, Ali Fırat’s aunt, has also joined the vigil. She emphasized that everyone trapped in the basements in Cizre were civilians. She said that every time the families attempted to reach Cizre, police attacked them.

“We won’t give up on our life. We’re waiting for news from there. They’re bombing the basement and no one is saying anything,” said Azime, who asked why the world was doing nothing to stop the massacre.

“They can’t exterminate us by killing us. We’re behind the guerrillas, behind our martyrs,” said Azime. “Even if there are those who die, we will continue their struggle.”

(ht-zd/gc/cm)